Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East was 29.1% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East in Sri Lanka, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2023, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in east in Sri Lanka stood at 29.1%.
The figure is down 5.1% on the previous year and up 12.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in east in Sri Lanka peaked at 34.3% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 5.9%, in 1980.
Sri Lanka ranks 43rd of 206 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 16.2% | — |
| 1961 | 17.0% | +5.3% |
| 1962 | 17.5% | +2.7% |
| 1963 | 18.9% | +8.4% |
| 1964 | 26.7% | +41.0% |
| 1965 | 18.3% | -31.5% |
| 1966 | 28.1% | +53.7% |
| 1967 | 22.0% | -21.8% |
| 1968 | 21.9% | -0.5% |
| 1969 | 16.7% | -23.6% |
| 1970 | 20.7% | +24.1% |
| 1971 | 17.9% | -13.5% |
| 1972 | 8.2% | -54.4% |
| 1973 | 13.5% | +65.2% |
| 1974 | 15.1% | +12.1% |
| 1975 | 23.0% | +52.1% |
| 1976 | 11.0% | -52.2% |
| 1977 | 13.7% | +24.4% |
| 1978 | 8.0% | -41.6% |
| 1979 | 7.6% | -5.4% |
| 1980 | 5.9% | -22.0% |
| 1981 | 7.0% | +18.6% |
| 1982 | 9.5% | +35.2% |
| 1983 | 9.1% | -4.2% |
| 1984 | 6.2% | -31.8% |
| 1985 | 7.7% | +24.7% |
| 1986 | 10.7% | +38.7% |
| 1987 | 9.8% | -8.2% |
| 1988 | 11.2% | +13.7% |
| 1989 | 14.1% | +26.7% |
| 1990 | 14.6% | +3.4% |
| 1991 | 13.1% | -10.7% |
| 1992 | 14.5% | +11.0% |
| 1993 | 14.9% | +3.0% |
| 1994 | 13.6% | -9.0% |
| 1995 | 13.8% | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 13.2% | -4.2% |
| 1997 | 12.5% | -5.4% |
| 1998 | 13.5% | +8.0% |
| 1999 | 12.2% | -9.6% |
| 2000 | 13.5% | +10.8% |
| 2001 | 14.1% | +4.1% |
| 2002 | 13.2% | -6.2% |
| 2003 | 14.7% | +11.4% |
| 2004 | 14.5% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 16.7% | +14.8% |
| 2006 | 16.9% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 8.9% | -47.4% |
| 2008 | 8.3% | -5.8% |
| 2009 | 9.5% | +13.7% |
| 2010 | 9.6% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 12.1% | +25.9% |
| 2012 | 16.2% | +34.4% |
| 2013 | 25.9% | +59.4% |
| 2014 | 28.4% | +9.6% |
| 2015 | 11.6% | -59.1% |
| 2016 | 32.1% | +176.2% |
| 2017 | 28.4% | -11.3% |
| 2018 | 28.2% | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 31.8% | +12.6% |
| 2020 | 33.6% | +5.8% |
| 2021 | 34.3% | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 30.7% | -10.3% |
| 2023 | 29.1% | -5.1% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 29.1% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 19.8%, 1.5× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 29.1% is above the median for South Asia, which is 23.2%, 1.3× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | +176.2% | 11.6% | 32.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 20.3% | 16.2% | 28.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 13.9% | 7.6% | 23.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.1% | 5.9% | 14.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.6% | 12.2% | 14.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.0% | 8.3% | 16.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.4% | 9.6% | 32.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.9% | 29.1% | 34.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 40 Tonga 30.1% compare
- 41 Kazakhstan 30.0% compare
- 42 Chad 29.6% compare
- 44 French Polynesia 28.3% compare
- 45 Djibouti 27.7% compare
- 46 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 27.4% 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 from low- and middle-income economies in east in Sri Lanka?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in east in Sri Lanka was 29.1% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in east recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 34.3% in 2021.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in east recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.9% in 1980.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in east?
- Sri Lanka ranks 43rd out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in east rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.6%. 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 imports from low- and middle-income economies in East Asia & Pacific (% of total merchandise imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East Asia and Pacific are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from low- and middle-income economies in the East Asia and Pacific region according to the World Bank classification of economies. Data are expressed as a percentage of total merchandise imports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.