China vs Sri Lanka: Merchandise trade
Merchandise trade over time
- China
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
China currently reports 32.6% against 32.2% in Sri Lanka, a difference of 0.4%.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Sri Lanka ahead.
China ranks 170th and Sri Lanka ranks 171st of 204 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and Sri Lanka in 6.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.8% | 47.5% | 40.8% | Sri Lanka |
| 1970s | 9.1% | 39.6% | 30.5% | Sri Lanka |
| 1980s | 24.4% | 57.4% | 33.0% | Sri Lanka |
| 1990s | 36.0% | 65.0% | 29.0% | Sri Lanka |
| 2000s | 50.9% | 61.1% | 10.2% | Sri Lanka |
| 2010s | 38.7% | 37.2% | 1.6% | China |
| 2020s | 32.7% | 34.8% | 2.1% | Sri Lanka |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher merchandise trade, China or Sri Lanka?
- China, at 32.6% against 32.2% in Sri Lanka as of 2025.
- What is the difference in merchandise trade between China and Sri Lanka?
- 0.4%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Sri Lanka?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do China and Sri Lanka rank globally for merchandise trade?
- China ranks 170th and Sri Lanka ranks 171st of 204 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Trade Organization (WTO), published as Merchandise trade (% of GDP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
General merchandise trade includes goods whose economic ownership is changed between a resident and a non-resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e. It is the total of merchandise exports plus merchandise imports. 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.