Economy - overview:
Sri Lanka is attempting to sustain economic growth while maintaining macroeconomic stability under its IMF program that it began in 2016. The government's high debt payments and bloated civil service cadre, which have contributed to historically high budget deficits and low tax revenues, remain a concern. Government debt is about 75% of GDP and remains among the highest of the emerging markets. Sri Lanka will need to balance its elevated debt repayment schedule with its requirement to maintain adequate foreign exchange reserve levels in the coming years.In May 2016, Sri Lanka regained its preferential trade preferences under the European Union’s Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+), enabling many of its firms to export products, including it top export garments, tax free to the EU. Also in 2016, the government reformed elements of the country’s tax regime to increase some tax rates and broaden the tax net in response to recommendations made under its IMF program.Tourism has experienced strong growth during recent years following the resolution of the government's 26-year conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The government has been pursuing large-scale reconstruction and development projects in its efforts to spur growth.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$278.2 billion (2017 est.) $265.6 billion (2016 est.) $254.5 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 62

GDP (official exchange rate):
$83.57 billion (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]

GDP - real growth rate:
4.7% (2017 est.) 4.4% (2016 est.) 4.8% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$13,000 (2017 est.) $12,500 (2016 est.) $12,100 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 121

Gross national saving:
29.3% of GDP (2017 est.) 29% of GDP (2016 est.) 26.1% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 67.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 8.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 28.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 3.3%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 21.3%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -30% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 7.8%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 30.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 61.7% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]

Agriculture - products:
rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, vegetables, fruit, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef; fish

Industries:
processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agricultural commodities; telecommunications, insurance, banking; tourism, shipping; clothing, textiles; cement, petroleum refining, information technology services, construction

Industrial production growth rate:
5.4% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]

Labor force:
8.937 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 28.4%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 25.7%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 45.9% (30 Jun 2015)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]

Unemployment rate:
4% (2017 est.) 4% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]

Population below poverty line:
6.7% (2012 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.6%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 39.5% (2009)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
49 (2010) 46 (1995)
country comparison to the world: 20
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]

Budget:
revenues: $12.64 billion
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $16.66 billion (2017 est.)
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]

Taxes and other revenues:
15.1% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-4.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]

Public debt:
79.6% of GDP (2017 est.) 79.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
note: covers central government debt, and excludes debt instruments directly owned by government entities other than the treasury (e.g. commercial bank borrowings of a government corporation); the data includes treasury debt held by foreign entities as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement; sub-national entities are usually not permitted to sell debt instruments
country comparison to the world: 39
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6% (2017 est.) 4% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]

Central bank discount rate:
7% (30 September 2016) 6% (31 December 2015)
country comparison to the world: 50
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
11.8% (31 December 2017 est.) 10.49% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]

Stock of narrow money:
$5.213 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $5.184 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]

Stock of broad money:
$36.83 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $32.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]

Stock of domestic credit:
$51.72 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $46.21 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]

Market value of publicly traded shares:
$20.8 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $23.67 billion (31 December 2014 est.) $18.81 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]

Current account balance:
-$2.094 billion (2017 est.) -$1.942 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]

Exports:
$10.93 billion (2017 est.) $10.31 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
[see also: Exports country ranks ]

Exports - commodities:
textiles and apparel, tea and spices; rubber manufactures; precious stones; coconut products, fish

Exports - partners:
US 27.3%, UK 10.2%, India 5%, Germany 5%, Italy 4% (2016)

Imports:
$21.14 billion (2017 est.) $19.4 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
[see also: Imports country ranks ]

Imports - commodities:
petroleum, textiles, machinery and transportation equipment, building materials, mineral products, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
China 22%, India 20%, UAE 6.1%, Singapore 5.9%, Japan 5.4% (2016)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$6.632 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $6.019 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]

Debt - external:
$47.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $45.26 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$NA
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad country ranks ]

Exchange rates:
Sri Lankan rupees (LKR) per US dollar - 154.1 (2017 est.) 145.58 (2016 est.) 145.58 (2015 est.) 135.86 (2014 est.) 130.57 (2013 est.)