Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in South Asia in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in South Asia was 10.3% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in South Asia in Sri Lanka, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise exports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in south asia in Sri Lanka is 10.3%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.3% on the previous year and up 30.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in south asia in Sri Lanka peaked at 16.3% in 1973 and was at its lowest, 2.5%, in 1998.
That places Sri Lanka 25th out of 205 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in South Asia in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 3.9% | — |
| 1961 | 4.3% | +12.1% |
| 1962 | 5.9% | +35.3% |
| 1963 | 5.0% | -14.9% |
| 1964 | 6.8% | +36.1% |
| 1965 | 5.0% | -26.6% |
| 1966 | 4.9% | -2.0% |
| 1967 | 3.5% | -28.7% |
| 1968 | 3.9% | +13.2% |
| 1969 | 4.8% | +22.1% |
| 1970 | 3.9% | -18.5% |
| 1971 | 8.6% | +119.0% |
| 1972 | 15.4% | +79.5% |
| 1973 | 16.3% | +5.7% |
| 1974 | 10.6% | -35.2% |
| 1975 | 11.5% | +9.4% |
| 1976 | 9.9% | -14.1% |
| 1977 | 10.3% | +4.1% |
| 1978 | 7.7% | -25.4% |
| 1979 | 7.6% | -1.7% |
| 1980 | 9.0% | +19.0% |
| 1981 | 10.5% | +16.7% |
| 1982 | 9.8% | -7.0% |
| 1983 | 7.5% | -22.8% |
| 1984 | 5.5% | -26.5% |
| 1985 | 4.9% | -12.0% |
| 1986 | 5.6% | +15.7% |
| 1987 | 4.5% | -19.8% |
| 1988 | 7.1% | +57.5% |
| 1989 | 6.5% | -8.7% |
| 1990 | 4.3% | -34.0% |
| 1991 | 3.5% | -19.5% |
| 1992 | 2.6% | -25.4% |
| 1993 | 2.9% | +10.9% |
| 1994 | 3.0% | +3.6% |
| 1995 | 2.9% | -1.8% |
| 1996 | 2.9% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 2.8% | -3.3% |
| 1998 | 2.5% | -12.4% |
| 1999 | 3.2% | +30.6% |
| 2000 | 3.7% | +14.7% |
| 2001 | 3.5% | -5.2% |
| 2002 | 5.9% | +68.2% |
| 2003 | 7.4% | +25.2% |
| 2004 | 9.6% | +29.8% |
| 2005 | 11.3% | +17.3% |
| 2006 | 9.7% | -14.2% |
| 2007 | 8.6% | -10.8% |
| 2008 | 7.1% | -18.1% |
| 2009 | 6.3% | -10.3% |
| 2010 | 7.3% | +15.4% |
| 2011 | 7.0% | -4.5% |
| 2012 | 8.4% | +20.2% |
| 2013 | 7.9% | -6.2% |
| 2014 | 8.1% | +3.2% |
| 2015 | 9.2% | +12.5% |
| 2016 | 8.2% | -10.2% |
| 2017 | 8.9% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | 9.5% | +6.4% |
| 2019 | 9.6% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 9.3% | -3.5% |
| 2021 | 10.2% | +9.5% |
| 2022 | 9.9% | -2.7% |
| 2023 | 10.3% | +4.3% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 10.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.3%, 8.1× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 10.3% is above the median for South Asia, which is 8.2%, 1.3× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.8% | 3.5% | 6.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 10.2% | 3.9% | 16.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.1% | 4.5% | 10.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.1% | 2.5% | 4.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.3% | 3.5% | 11.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.4% | 7.0% | 9.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.9% | 9.3% | 10.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 22 Saudi Arabia 11.5% compare
- 23 Senegal 11.0% compare
- 24 Indonesia 10.6% compare
- 26 Kenya 9.5% compare
- 27 Uzbekistan 9.3% compare
- 28 Guinea-Bissau 9.1% compare
More private sector data for Sri Lanka
- Merchandise trade 32.2% (2025)
- Food imports 15.3% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 59.7% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 21.48 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 27.3% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 66.0% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 13.58 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)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 6.33 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in south asia in Sri Lanka?
- Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in south asia in Sri Lanka was 10.3% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in south asia recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 16.3% in 1973.
- What is the lowest merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in south asia recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.5% in 1998.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in south asia?
- Sri Lanka ranks 25th out of 205 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in south asia rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in South Asia (% of total merchandise exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in South Asia are the sum of merchandise exports from the reporting economy to low- and middle-income economies in the South Asia region according to World Bank classification of economies. Data are as a percentage of total merchandise exports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.