Merchandise imports (current US$), per square kilometre in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Merchandise imports (current US$), per square kilometre was 271,759 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
271,759 current US$ per square kilometre
Change on year
down 8.1%
World rank
98th
of 205 countries
All-time high
359,385 current US$ per square kilometre
in 2018
All-time low
4,943 current US$ per square kilometre
in 1965
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Merchandise imports (current US$), per square kilometre in Sri Lanka, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in current US$ per square kilometre.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 271,759 current US$ per square kilometre for merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre in 2023.
The figure is down 8.1% on the previous year and down 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre in Sri Lanka peaked at 359,385 current US$ per square kilometre in 2018 and was at its lowest, 4,943 current US$ per square kilometre, in 1965.
That places Sri Lanka 98th out of 205 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise imports (current US$), per square kilometre in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | current US$ per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 5,709 current US$ per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 5,565 current US$ per square kilometre | -2.5% |
| 1963 | 4,991 current US$ per square kilometre | -10.3% |
| 1964 | 6,618 current US$ per square kilometre | +32.6% |
| 1965 | 4,943 current US$ per square kilometre | -25.3% |
| 1966 | 6,379 current US$ per square kilometre | +29.0% |
| 1967 | 5,820 current US$ per square kilometre | -8.8% |
| 1968 | 5,725 current US$ per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 1969 | 6,698 current US$ per square kilometre | +17.0% |
| 1970 | 6,155 current US$ per square kilometre | -8.1% |
| 1971 | 5,645 current US$ per square kilometre | -8.3% |
| 1972 | 5,868 current US$ per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 1973 | 6,857 current US$ per square kilometre | +16.8% |
| 1974 | 11,481 current US$ per square kilometre | +67.4% |
| 1975 | 13,012 current US$ per square kilometre | +13.3% |
| 1976 | 9,329 current US$ per square kilometre | -28.3% |
| 1977 | 11,162 current US$ per square kilometre | +19.7% |
| 1978 | 15,452 current US$ per square kilometre | +38.4% |
| 1979 | 23,378 current US$ per square kilometre | +51.3% |
| 1980 | 32,483 current US$ per square kilometre | +38.9% |
| 1981 | 29,485 current US$ per square kilometre | -9.2% |
| 1982 | 29,198 current US$ per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 1983 | 29,022 current US$ per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 29,772 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1985 | 29,389 current US$ per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 1986 | 29,612 current US$ per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 32,818 current US$ per square kilometre | +10.8% |
| 1988 | 36,071 current US$ per square kilometre | +9.9% |
| 1989 | 34,891 current US$ per square kilometre | -3.3% |
| 1990 | 42,816 current US$ per square kilometre | +22.7% |
| 1991 | 48,700 current US$ per square kilometre | +13.7% |
| 1992 | 54,935 current US$ per square kilometre | +12.8% |
| 1993 | 63,642 current US$ per square kilometre | +15.8% |
| 1994 | 76,160 current US$ per square kilometre | +19.7% |
| 1995 | 82,682 current US$ per square kilometre | +8.6% |
| 1996 | 86,366 current US$ per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 1997 | 93,111 current US$ per square kilometre | +7.8% |
| 1998 | 94,610 current US$ per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 93,606 current US$ per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 100,159 current US$ per square kilometre | +7.0% |
| 2001 | 95,248 current US$ per square kilometre | -4.9% |
| 2002 | 97,353 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 106,395 current US$ per square kilometre | +9.3% |
| 2004 | 127,141 current US$ per square kilometre | +19.5% |
| 2005 | 140,871 current US$ per square kilometre | +10.8% |
| 2006 | 163,578 current US$ per square kilometre | +16.1% |
| 2007 | 180,210 current US$ per square kilometre | +10.2% |
| 2008 | 222,500 current US$ per square kilometre | +23.5% |
| 2009 | 160,246 current US$ per square kilometre | -28.0% |
| 2010 | 215,468 current US$ per square kilometre | +34.5% |
| 2011 | 323,218 current US$ per square kilometre | +50.0% |
| 2012 | 306,012 current US$ per square kilometre | -5.3% |
| 2013 | 287,083 current US$ per square kilometre | -6.2% |
| 2014 | 309,632 current US$ per square kilometre | +7.9% |
| 2015 | 305,931 current US$ per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 309,938 current US$ per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 338,972 current US$ per square kilometre | +9.4% |
| 2018 | 359,385 current US$ per square kilometre | +6.0% |
| 2019 | 322,269 current US$ per square kilometre | -10.3% |
| 2020 | 259,538 current US$ per square kilometre | -19.5% |
| 2021 | 333,608 current US$ per square kilometre | +28.5% |
| 2022 | 295,684 current US$ per square kilometre | -11.4% |
| 2023 | 271,759 current US$ per square kilometre | -8.1% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 271,759 current US$ per square kilometre is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 272,058 current US$ per square kilometre, 100% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 271,759 current US$ per square kilometre is above the median for South Asia, which is 249,214 current US$ per square kilometre, 1.1× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5,828 current US$ per square kilometre | 4,943 current US$ per square kilometre | 6,698 current US$ per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 10,834 current US$ per square kilometre | 5,645 current US$ per square kilometre | 23,378 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 31,274 current US$ per square kilometre | 29,022 current US$ per square kilometre | 36,071 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 73,663 current US$ per square kilometre | 42,816 current US$ per square kilometre | 94,610 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 139,370 current US$ per square kilometre | 95,248 current US$ per square kilometre | 222,500 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 307,791 current US$ per square kilometre | 215,468 current US$ per square kilometre | 359,385 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 290,147 current US$ per square kilometre | 259,538 current US$ per square kilometre | 333,608 current US$ per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 95 Finland 273,398 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 96 Norway 273,229 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 97 China 272,356 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 99 Moldova 263,438 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 100 Gambia 241,897 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 101 Djibouti 228,430 current US$ per square kilometre 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$), annual growth rate 6.33 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre in Sri Lanka?
- Merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre in Sri Lanka was 271,759 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 359,385 current US$ per square kilometre in 2018.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,943 current US$ per square kilometre in 1965.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre?
- Sri Lanka ranks 98th out of 205 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Merchandise imports (current US$), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Merchandise imports (current US$) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Merchandise imports (current US$) ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Merchandise imports World Trade Organization (WTO)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Merchandise imports (current US$) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.