Tariff rate, applied, simple mean, all products (%) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Tariff rate, applied, simple mean, all products (%) was 5.7% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Tariff rate, applied, simple mean, all products in Sri Lanka, 1990–2021
Source: Staff estimates. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for tariff rate, applied, simple mean, all products in Sri Lanka is 5.7%, measured in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is down 35.2% on the previous year and down 42.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tariff rate, applied, simple mean, all products in Sri Lanka peaked at 26.4% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 5.7%, in 2021.
That places Sri Lanka 96th out of 184 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Tariff rate, applied, simple mean, all products (%) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 26.4% | — |
| 1993 | 23.9% | -9.4% |
| 1994 | 24.5% | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 20.2% | -17.6% |
| 1998 | 11.2% | -44.7% |
| 2000 | 9.7% | -12.9% |
| 2001 | 9.6% | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 9.6% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 10.6% | +9.9% |
| 2005 | 11.7% | +11.0% |
| 2006 | 11.4% | -2.8% |
| 2007 | 11.1% | -2.8% |
| 2008 | 10.9% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 10.8% | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 9.8% | -9.1% |
| 2011 | 10.0% | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 9.9% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 9.3% | -6.1% |
| 2015 | 7.9% | -15.6% |
| 2017 | 10.3% | +31.5% |
| 2018 | 12.1% | +16.5% |
| 2019 | 16.4% | +35.8% |
| 2020 | 8.8% | -46.0% |
| 2021 | 5.7% | -35.2% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 5.7% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.8%, 98% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 5.7% is below the median for South Asia, which is 9.9%, 58% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 21.2% | 11.2% | 26.4% | 5 |
| 2000s | 10.6% | 9.6% | 11.7% | 9 |
| 2010s | 10.7% | 7.9% | 16.4% | 8 |
| 2020s | 7.3% | 5.7% | 8.8% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More private sector data for Sri Lanka
- Merchandise trade 32.2% (2025)
- Food imports 14.9% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 63.8% (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tariff rate, applied, simple mean, all products in Sri Lanka?
- Tariff rate, applied, simple mean, all products in Sri Lanka was 5.7% in 2021, according to Staff estimates.
- What is the highest tariff rate, applied, simple mean, all products recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 26.4% in 1990.
- What is the lowest tariff rate, applied, simple mean, all products recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.7% in 2021.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for tariff rate, applied, simple mean, all products?
- Sri Lanka ranks 96th out of 184 countries with data for 2021.
- Is tariff rate, applied, simple mean, all products rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 42.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, published as part of Tariff rate, applied, simple mean, all products (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Simple mean applied tariff is the unweighted average of effectively applied rates for all products subject to tariffs calculated for all traded goods. Data are classified using the Harmonized System of trade at the six- or eight-digit level. Tariff line data were matched to Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) revision 3 codes to define commodity groups. Effectively applied tariff rates at the six- and eight-digit product level are averaged for products in each commodity group. When the effectively applied rate is unavailable, the most favored nation rate is used instead. To the extent possible, specific rates have been converted to their ad valorem equivalent rates and have been included in the calculation of simple mean tariffs.