Trade as a share of GDP in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Trade as a share of GDP was 41.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
41.8%
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
165th
of 191 countries
All-time high
88.6%
in 2000
All-time low
37.1%
in 2020
Years of data
61
1960–2025
Trade as a share of GDP in Sri Lanka, 1960–2025
Source: National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 41.8% for trade as a share of gdp in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 10.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade as a share of gdp in Sri Lanka peaked at 88.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 37.1%, in 2020.
Sri Lanka ranks 165th of 191 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 61 years of available data.
Trade as a share of GDP in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 62.9% | — |
| 1961 | 56.0% | -10.9% |
| 1962 | 57.0% | +1.7% |
| 1963 | 53.2% | -6.6% |
| 1964 | 51.3% | -3.6% |
| 1965 | 51.4% | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 48.2% | -6.2% |
| 1967 | 43.8% | -9.2% |
| 1968 | 44.2% | +1.0% |
| 1969 | 43.0% | -2.7% |
| 1970 | 54.1% | +25.7% |
| 1971 | 51.2% | -5.2% |
| 1972 | 46.2% | -9.8% |
| 1973 | 49.9% | +8.0% |
| 1974 | 60.3% | +20.9% |
| 1975 | 62.4% | +3.5% |
| 1976 | 60.4% | -3.2% |
| 1977 | 64.0% | +5.9% |
| 1978 | 74.3% | +16.2% |
| 1979 | 79.5% | +6.9% |
| 1980 | 87.0% | +9.5% |
| 1981 | 77.0% | -11.5% |
| 1982 | 73.6% | -4.4% |
| 1983 | 67.8% | -8.0% |
| 1984 | 63.5% | -6.2% |
| 1985 | 64.0% | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 59.0% | -7.7% |
| 1987 | 60.9% | +3.1% |
| 1988 | 62.9% | +3.3% |
| 1989 | 64.0% | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 68.2% | +6.6% |
| 1991 | 67.6% | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 72.8% | +7.7% |
| 1993 | 77.1% | +6.0% |
| 1994 | 79.4% | +3.0% |
| 1995 | 81.6% | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 78.9% | -3.4% |
| 1997 | 80.1% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 78.5% | -2.0% |
| 1999 | 78.8% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 88.6% | +12.6% |
| 2001 | 80.9% | -8.7% |
| 2002 | 76.3% | -5.6% |
| 2003 | 75.3% | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 79.5% | +5.5% |
| 2005 | 73.6% | -7.4% |
| 2006 | 71.3% | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 68.6% | -3.7% |
| 2008 | 63.4% | -7.6% |
| 2009 | 49.1% | -22.4% |
| 2015 | 46.9% | -4.5% |
| 2016 | 46.5% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 47.1% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 49.8% | +5.7% |
| 2019 | 49.4% | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 37.1% | -25.0% |
| 2021 | 41.2% | +11.2% |
| 2022 | 46.7% | +13.2% |
| 2023 | 43.3% | -7.1% |
| 2024 | 42.1% | -2.8% |
| 2025 | 41.8% | -0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 51.1% | 43.0% | 62.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 60.2% | 46.2% | 79.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 68.0% | 59.0% | 87.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 76.3% | 67.6% | 81.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 72.7% | 49.1% | 88.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.0% | 46.5% | 49.8% | 5 |
| 2020s | 42.0% | 37.1% | 46.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More economy & growth data for Sri Lanka
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP -8.07 Percent per annum (2022)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP -7.82 Percent per annum (2022)
- Services, value added (constant LCU), per capita 352,842 constant LCU per person (2025)
- GDP deflator (base year varies by country), annual growth rate 3.69 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), annual growth 5.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.8843 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per capita 4,424 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), annual growth 5.34 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per unit of GDP 266.14 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per capita 1.33 million current LCU per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade as a share of gdp in Sri Lanka?
- Trade as a share of gdp in Sri Lanka was 41.8% in 2025, according to National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest trade as a share of gdp recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 88.6% in 2000.
- What is the lowest trade as a share of gdp recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.1% in 2020.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for trade as a share of gdp?
- Sri Lanka ranks 165th out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is trade as a share of gdp rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Trade as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 61 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Trade in goods and services as a share of GDP, shown as a percentage.