Manufactures imports (% of merchandise imports) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Manufactures imports (% of merchandise imports) was 63.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Manufactures imports in Sri Lanka, 1962–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 63.8% for manufactures imports in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.9% on the previous year and down 7.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, manufactures imports in Sri Lanka peaked at 76.2% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 28.9%, in 1975.
That places Sri Lanka 85th out of 196 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Manufactures imports (% of merchandise imports) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 49.7% | — |
| 1963 | 45.0% | -9.3% |
| 1964 | 40.3% | -10.5% |
| 1965 | 46.0% | +14.2% |
| 1966 | 42.5% | -7.6% |
| 1967 | 42.9% | +0.9% |
| 1968 | 41.8% | -2.6% |
| 1969 | 52.2% | +24.8% |
| 1970 | 46.8% | -10.3% |
| 1971 | 47.9% | +2.2% |
| 1972 | 44.9% | -6.2% |
| 1974 | 29.8% | -33.7% |
| 1975 | 28.9% | -3.1% |
| 1976 | 34.1% | +18.1% |
| 1977 | 31.6% | -7.1% |
| 1978 | 48.8% | +54.1% |
| 1979 | 54.6% | +12.0% |
| 1980 | 52.3% | -4.1% |
| 1981 | 52.2% | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 52.8% | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 55.9% | +5.7% |
| 1984 | 56.0% | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 54.6% | -2.3% |
| 1986 | 66.6% | +21.8% |
| 1987 | 64.8% | -2.6% |
| 1990 | 64.9% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 67.8% | +4.4% |
| 1992 | 71.5% | +5.5% |
| 1993 | 74.5% | +4.2% |
| 1994 | 74.3% | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 76.2% | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 73.8% | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 72.5% | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 66.3% | -8.6% |
| 2003 | 70.4% | +6.2% |
| 2004 | 67.5% | -4.1% |
| 2005 | 68.9% | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 66.1% | -4.0% |
| 2007 | 59.3% | -10.3% |
| 2008 | 59.5% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 62.3% | +4.7% |
| 2010 | 64.1% | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 60.8% | -5.1% |
| 2012 | 62.9% | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 60.7% | -3.5% |
| 2014 | 60.8% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 69.1% | +13.6% |
| 2016 | 70.5% | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 65.3% | -7.4% |
| 2019 | 67.4% | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 67.0% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 66.7% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 59.7% | -10.5% |
| 2023 | 56.5% | -5.3% |
| 2024 | 59.7% | +5.6% |
| 2025 | 63.8% | +6.9% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 63.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 63.3%, 1.0× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 63.8% is above the median for South Asia, which is 58.6%, 1.1× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Manufactures imports (% of merchandise imports) in Sri Lanka changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | +54.1% | 31.6% | 48.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 45.1% | 40.3% | 52.2% | 8 |
| 1970s | 40.8% | 28.9% | 54.6% | 9 |
| 1980s | 56.9% | 52.2% | 66.6% | 8 |
| 1990s | 71.5% | 64.9% | 76.2% | 6 |
| 2000s | 66.7% | 59.3% | 73.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 64.6% | 60.7% | 70.5% | 9 |
| 2020s | 62.2% | 56.5% | 67.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 82 Equatorial Guinea 64.2% compare
- 83 Finland 64.1% compare
- 84 Sierra Leone 63.9% compare
- 86 Montenegro 63.8% compare
- 87 Tunisia 63.7% compare
- 88 Bosnia and Herzegovina 63.7% compare
More private sector data for Sri Lanka
- Merchandise trade 32.2% (2025)
- Food imports 14.9% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 21.48 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 3.35 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 29.0% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 63.7% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 13.58 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 7.05 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 624.24 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1248 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is manufactures imports in Sri Lanka?
- Manufactures imports in Sri Lanka was 63.8% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest manufactures imports recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 76.2% in 1999.
- What is the lowest manufactures imports recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.9% in 1975.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for manufactures imports?
- Sri Lanka ranks 85th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is manufactures imports rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division, published as part of Manufactures imports (% of merchandise imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Manufactures comprise commodities in SITC (Rev. 3) sections 5 (chemicals), 6 (basic manufactures), 7 (machinery and transport equipment), and 8 (miscellaneous manufactured goods), excluding division 68 (non-ferrous metals). This indicator is expressed as a percentage of merchandise imports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a non-resident and a 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.