Trade in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Trade was 41.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Trade in Sri Lanka, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 41.8% for trade in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and down 10.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade in Sri Lanka peaked at 88.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 37.1%, in 2020.
Sri Lanka ranks 166th of 192 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 61 years of available data.
Trade 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)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 99,888 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 9.06 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 0.2544 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 1,273 current US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), annual 8.64 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 76.56 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 382,968 current LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 7.79 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade in Sri Lanka?
- Trade in Sri Lanka was 41.8% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest trade recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 88.6% in 2000.
- What is the lowest trade recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.1% in 2020.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for trade?
- Sri Lanka ranks 166th out of 192 countries with data for 2025.
- Is trade 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 Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of Trade (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Trade is the sum of exports and imports of goods and services. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.