Military expenditure (current LCU) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Military expenditure (current LCU) was 418.25 billion current LCU in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
418.25 billion current LCU
Change on year
up 9.6%
World rank
42nd
of 168 countries
All-time high
418.25 billion current LCU
in 2025
All-time low
66.28 million current LCU
in 1963
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Military expenditure in Sri Lanka, 1960–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in current LCU.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military expenditure in Sri Lanka is 418.25 billion current LCU, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.6% on the previous year and up 49.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Sri Lanka peaked at 418.25 billion current LCU in 2025 and was at its lowest, 66.28 million current LCU, in 1963.
That places Sri Lanka 42nd out of 168 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military expenditure (current LCU) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | current LCU | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 79.30 million current LCU | — |
| 1961 | 81.35 million current LCU | +2.6% |
| 1962 | 75.47 million current LCU | -7.2% |
| 1963 | 66.28 million current LCU | -12.2% |
| 1964 | 66.38 million current LCU | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 68.92 million current LCU | +3.8% |
| 1966 | 72.78 million current LCU | +5.6% |
| 1967 | 76.38 million current LCU | +4.9% |
| 1968 | 85.15 million current LCU | +11.5% |
| 1969 | 94.42 million current LCU | +10.9% |
| 1970 | 125.25 million current LCU | +32.6% |
| 1971 | 191.45 million current LCU | +52.9% |
| 1972 | 180.80 million current LCU | -5.6% |
| 1973 | 161.00 million current LCU | -11.0% |
| 1974 | 189.00 million current LCU | +17.4% |
| 1975 | 213.57 million current LCU | +13.0% |
| 1976 | 199.11 million current LCU | -6.8% |
| 1977 | 249.16 million current LCU | +25.1% |
| 1978 | 342.60 million current LCU | +37.5% |
| 1979 | 437.15 million current LCU | +27.6% |
| 1980 | 509.45 million current LCU | +16.5% |
| 1981 | 532.81 million current LCU | +4.6% |
| 1982 | 540.59 million current LCU | +1.5% |
| 1983 | 1.08 billion current LCU | +100.0% |
| 1984 | 1.42 billion current LCU | +31.2% |
| 1985 | 5.13 billion current LCU | +261.9% |
| 1986 | 4.84 billion current LCU | -5.7% |
| 1987 | 6.68 billion current LCU | +37.9% |
| 1988 | 5.26 billion current LCU | -21.1% |
| 1989 | 4.53 billion current LCU | -13.9% |
| 1990 | 7.49 billion current LCU | +65.4% |
| 1991 | 11.48 billion current LCU | +53.2% |
| 1992 | 14.32 billion current LCU | +24.8% |
| 1993 | 17.14 billion current LCU | +19.7% |
| 1994 | 21.60 billion current LCU | +26.0% |
| 1995 | 39.14 billion current LCU | +81.2% |
| 1996 | 42.40 billion current LCU | +8.3% |
| 1997 | 41.23 billion current LCU | -2.8% |
| 1998 | 47.27 billion current LCU | +14.7% |
| 1999 | 44.57 billion current LCU | -5.7% |
| 2000 | 63.31 billion current LCU | +42.0% |
| 2001 | 60.34 billion current LCU | -4.7% |
| 2002 | 54.69 billion current LCU | -9.4% |
| 2003 | 52.28 billion current LCU | -4.4% |
| 2004 | 62.67 billion current LCU | +19.9% |
| 2005 | 64.74 billion current LCU | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 82.25 billion current LCU | +27.0% |
| 2007 | 116.69 billion current LCU | +41.9% |
| 2008 | 163.73 billion current LCU | +40.3% |
| 2009 | 174.97 billion current LCU | +6.9% |
| 2010 | 173.22 billion current LCU | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 193.86 billion current LCU | +11.9% |
| 2012 | 188.20 billion current LCU | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 206.62 billion current LCU | +9.8% |
| 2014 | 249.98 billion current LCU | +21.0% |
| 2015 | 279.57 billion current LCU | +11.8% |
| 2016 | 253.61 billion current LCU | -9.3% |
| 2017 | 284.43 billion current LCU | +12.1% |
| 2018 | 266.31 billion current LCU | -6.4% |
| 2019 | 278.79 billion current LCU | +4.7% |
| 2020 | 275.60 billion current LCU | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 302.90 billion current LCU | +9.9% |
| 2022 | 324.38 billion current LCU | +7.1% |
| 2023 | 362.73 billion current LCU | +11.8% |
| 2024 | 381.53 billion current LCU | +5.2% |
| 2025 | 418.25 billion current LCU | +9.6% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 418.25 billion current LCU is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 55.44 billion current LCU, 7.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military expenditure (current LCU) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | +261.9% | 1.42 billion current LCU | 5.13 billion current LCU |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 76.64 million current LCU | 66.28 million current LCU | 94.42 million current LCU | 10 |
| 1970s | 228.91 million current LCU | 125.25 million current LCU | 437.15 million current LCU | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.05 billion current LCU | 509.45 million current LCU | 6.68 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 1990s | 28.66 billion current LCU | 7.49 billion current LCU | 47.27 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2000s | 89.57 billion current LCU | 52.28 billion current LCU | 174.97 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2010s | 237.46 billion current LCU | 173.22 billion current LCU | 284.43 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2020s | 344.23 billion current LCU | 275.60 billion current LCU | 418.25 billion current LCU | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 39 Burkina Faso 518.42 billion current LCU compare
- 40 Bangladesh 466.17 billion current LCU compare
- 41 Cote d'Ivoire 441.60 billion current LCU compare
- 43 Chad 377.27 billion current LCU compare
- 44 Yemen 368.50 billion current LCU compare
- 45 Philippines 366.72 billion current LCU compare
More public sector data for Sri Lanka
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 11.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.4107 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0001 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 80 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Sri Lanka?
- Military expenditure in Sri Lanka was 418.25 billion current LCU in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 418.25 billion current LCU in 2025.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 66.28 million current LCU in 1963.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for military expenditure?
- Sri Lanka ranks 42nd out of 168 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 49.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as part of Military expenditure (current LCU). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Military expenditure in local currency at current prices (by calendar year)