Which has higher interest payments, South Asia or Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka, at 49.4% against 32.3% in South Asia as of 2023.

How many years of comparable data are there for South Asia and Sri Lanka?

33 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2022.

Where does this data come from?

Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as Interest payments (% of expense). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

South Asia vs Sri Lanka: Interest payments

South Asia

32.3%

in 2022

Sri Lanka

49.4%

in 2023

South Asia rank

1st

Sri Lanka rank

1st

Interest payments over time

South Asia
Sri Lanka

How they compare

Sri Lanka currently reports 49.4% against 32.3% in South Asia, a difference of 17.1%.

That makes Sri Lanka's figure about 1.5 times South Asia's.

The two have swapped places 6 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Sri Lanka ahead.

South Asia ranks 1st and Sri Lanka ranks 1st of 41 groups.

Across the 4 decades both report, South Asia averaged higher in 1 and Sri Lanka in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade	South Asia	Sri Lanka	Difference	Ahead
1990s	26.0%	25.3%	0.7%	South Asia
2000s	24.7%	27.6%	2.9%	Sri Lanka
2010s	20.1%	31.5%	11.4%	Sri Lanka
2020s	26.3%	36.1%	9.8%	Sri Lanka

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher interest payments, South Asia or Sri Lanka?: Sri Lanka, at 49.4% against 32.3% in South Asia as of 2023.
What is the difference in interest payments between South Asia and Sri Lanka?: 17.1%, with Sri Lanka ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Asia and Sri Lanka?: 33 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2022.
How do South Asia and Sri Lanka rank globally for interest payments?: South Asia ranks 1st and Sri Lanka ranks 1st of 41 groups.
Where does this data come from?: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as Interest payments (% of expense). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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South Asia vs Sri Lanka: Interest payments. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/interest-payments-percent-of-expense/south-asia/sri-lanka/

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About this data

Indicator: Interest payments (% of expense)
Unit: % of expense
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 193 places, 5,277 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed: 03 September 2026

Interest payments include interest payments on government debt (including long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments) to domestic and foreign residents. This indicator is expressed as percentage of total expenses which is any decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction.