Travel services (% of commercial service imports) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Travel services (% of commercial service imports) was 24.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Travel services in Sri Lanka, 1975–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of commercial service imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for travel services in Sri Lanka is 24.7%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 5.5% on the previous year and down 30.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, travel services in Sri Lanka peaked at 36.8% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 1975.
Sri Lanka ranks 67th of 198 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Travel services (% of commercial service imports) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of commercial service imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 1.6% | — |
| 1976 | 2.9% | +76.4% |
| 1977 | 3.5% | +20.6% |
| 1978 | 16.1% | +364.3% |
| 1979 | 12.9% | -19.8% |
| 1980 | 9.7% | -24.8% |
| 1981 | 10.4% | +7.3% |
| 1982 | 10.7% | +2.9% |
| 1983 | 9.8% | -8.7% |
| 1984 | 12.7% | +29.3% |
| 1985 | 10.5% | -16.9% |
| 1986 | 11.5% | +8.8% |
| 1987 | 12.2% | +6.4% |
| 1988 | 12.9% | +5.7% |
| 1989 | 12.6% | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 11.9% | -5.7% |
| 1991 | 13.2% | +11.1% |
| 1992 | 13.9% | +4.8% |
| 1993 | 14.2% | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 16.6% | +16.7% |
| 1995 | 15.9% | -4.1% |
| 1996 | 15.0% | -6.1% |
| 1997 | 14.1% | -5.7% |
| 1998 | 15.2% | +7.7% |
| 1999 | 15.7% | +3.2% |
| 2000 | 15.1% | -3.8% |
| 2001 | 14.4% | -4.4% |
| 2002 | 16.9% | +17.2% |
| 2003 | 16.9% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 15.8% | -6.7% |
| 2005 | 15.3% | -3.0% |
| 2006 | 15.8% | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 15.3% | -3.3% |
| 2008 | 14.4% | -5.9% |
| 2009 | 16.5% | +14.7% |
| 2010 | 14.7% | -10.9% |
| 2011 | 12.6% | -14.3% |
| 2012 | 28.6% | +126.3% |
| 2013 | 34.6% | +21.2% |
| 2014 | 34.6% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 35.6% | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 36.8% | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 36.7% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 36.6% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 36.0% | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 20.9% | -41.9% |
| 2021 | 28.7% | +37.2% |
| 2022 | 27.2% | -5.3% |
| 2023 | 21.4% | -21.4% |
| 2024 | 23.4% | +9.7% |
| 2025 | 24.7% | +5.5% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 24.7% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 23.2%, 1.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 24.7% is below the median for South Asia, which is 26.3%, 94% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Travel services (% of commercial service 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 | +364.3% | 3.5% | 16.1% |
| 2012 | +126.3% | 12.6% | 28.6% |
| 1976 | +76.4% | 1.6% | 2.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.4% | 1.6% | 16.1% | 5 |
| 1980s | 11.3% | 9.7% | 12.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.6% | 11.9% | 16.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.7% | 14.4% | 16.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.7% | 12.6% | 36.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.4% | 20.9% | 28.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 64 Peru 25.0% compare
- 65 United Kingdom 24.9% compare
- 66 Costa Rica 24.7% compare
- 68 Bulgaria 24.7% compare
- 69 Trinidad and Tobago 24.5% compare
- 70 Faroe Islands 24.4% compare
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 travel services in Sri Lanka?
- Travel services in Sri Lanka was 24.7% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest travel services recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 36.8% in 2016.
- What is the lowest travel services recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 1975.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for travel services?
- Sri Lanka ranks 67th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is travel services rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Travel services (% of commercial service imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Travel services cover goods and services for own use or to give away acquired from an economy by nonresidents during visits to that economy, or acquired from other economies by residents during visits to these other economies. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of service imports which are commercial services provided by non-residents to residents.