Interest payments in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Interest payments was 79.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
79.9%
Change on year
up 2.7%
World rank
1st
of 155 countries
All-time high
79.9%
in 2023
All-time low
26.2%
in 1991
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Interest payments in Sri Lanka, 1990–2023

204060801990200620231990: 27.8 % of revenue1991: 26.2 % of revenue1992: 27.6 % of revenue1993: 27.2 % of revenue1994: 32.1 % of revenue1995: 26.3 % of revenue1996: 31.8 % of revenue1997: 32.1 % of revenue1998: 30.1 % of revenue1999: 30.7 % of revenue2000: 32.9 % of revenue2001: 39.3 % of revenue2002: 43.6 % of revenue2003: 44 % of revenue2004: 37.4 % of revenue2005: 29.1 % of revenue2006: 29.7 % of revenue2007: 30.7 % of revenue2008: 31 % of revenue2009: 42.7 % of revenue2010: 42.3 % of revenue2011: 37.6 % of revenue2012: 38.3 % of revenue2013: 38.5 % of revenue2014: 36.8 % of revenue2015: 34.9 % of revenue2016: 36.1 % of revenue2017: 40 % of revenue2018: 44.1 % of revenue2019: 47.5 % of revenue2020: 71.4 % of revenue2021: 71.6 % of revenue2022: 77.8 % of revenue2023: 79.9 % of revenue

Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of revenue.

Analysis

Sri Lanka recorded 79.9% for interest payments in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.

That represents a change of up 2.7% on the previous year and up 107.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, interest payments in Sri Lanka peaked at 79.9% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 26.2%, in 1991.

That places Sri Lanka 1st out of 155 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.

Interest payments in Sri Lanka, year by year

Annual values for Interest payments (% of revenue) in Sri Lanka, 1990 to 2023.
Year % of revenue Change
1990 27.8%
1991 26.2% -5.8%
1992 27.6% +5.3%
1993 27.2% -1.5%
1994 32.1% +18.3%
1995 26.3% -18.1%
1996 31.8% +20.7%
1997 32.1% +1.0%
1998 30.1% -6.1%
1999 30.7% +1.7%
2000 32.9% +7.3%
2001 39.3% +19.6%
2002 43.6% +10.9%
2003 44.0% +0.9%
2004 37.4% -15.0%
2005 29.1% -22.1%
2006 29.7% +2.1%
2007 30.7% +3.2%
2008 31.0% +0.8%
2009 42.7% +37.9%
2010 42.3% -1.0%
2011 37.6% -11.1%
2012 38.3% +1.9%
2013 38.5% +0.5%
2014 36.8% -4.5%
2015 34.9% -5.1%
2016 36.1% +3.4%
2017 40.0% +10.8%
2018 44.1% +10.3%
2019 47.5% +7.6%
2020 71.4% +50.4%
2021 71.6% +0.3%
2022 77.8% +8.6%
2023 79.9% +2.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 29.2% 26.2% 32.1% 10
2000s 36.1% 29.1% 44.0% 10
2010s 39.6% 34.9% 47.5% 10
2020s 75.2% 71.4% 79.9% 4

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 2 Malawi 35.8% compare
  2. 3 India 34.0% compare
  3. 4 Egypt 33.3% compare

See the full ranking of 196 places →

More public sector data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is interest payments in Sri Lanka?
Interest payments in Sri Lanka was 79.9% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest interest payments recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 79.9% in 2023.
What is the lowest interest payments recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 26.2% in 1991.
How does Sri Lanka rank for interest payments?
Sri Lanka ranks 1st out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
Is interest payments rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is up 107.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Interest payments (% of revenue). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Interest payments in Sri Lanka. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/interest-payments-percent-of-revenue/sri-lanka/

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About this data

Indicator
Interest payments (% of revenue)
Unit
% of revenue
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
196 places, 5,564 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

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 a percentage of revenue which includes all transactions that add to the amount of economic value of a unit or sector.