Claims on central government, etc. in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Claims on central government, etc. was 21.2% in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
21.2%
Change on year
up 16.7%
World rank
43rd
of 186 countries
All-time high
24.4%
in 1982
All-time low
5.5%
in 1997
Years of data
60
1960–2019

Claims on central government, etc. in Sri Lanka, 1960–2019

510152025196019892019

Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % GDP.

Analysis

The most recent figure for claims on central government, etc. in Sri Lanka is 21.2%, measured in 2019.

That represents a change of up 16.7% on the previous year and up 59.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, claims on central government, etc. in Sri Lanka peaked at 24.4% in 1982 and was at its lowest, 5.5%, in 1997.

Sri Lanka ranks 43rd of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 60 years of available data.

Claims on central government, etc. in Sri Lanka, year by year

Annual values for Claims on central government, etc. (% GDP) in Sri Lanka, 1960 to 2019.
Year % GDP Change
1960 14.1%
1961 16.3% +15.7%
1962 18.6% +13.8%
1963 19.3% +4.0%
1964 20.0% +3.2%
1965 20.2% +1.4%
1966 20.1% -0.8%
1967 22.1% +10.2%
1968 19.8% -10.5%
1969 19.7% -0.5%
1970 18.5% -6.1%
1971 19.5% +5.3%
1972 16.9% -13.2%
1973 13.0% -23.4%
1974 9.5% -27.1%
1975 9.3% -2.1%
1976 12.3% +33.3%
1977 13.3% +7.6%
1978 10.6% -20.2%
1979 12.8% +20.8%
1980 24.4% +90.4%
1981 23.8% -2.3%
1982 24.4% +2.7%
1983 21.2% -13.1%
1984 13.8% -35.2%
1985 17.0% +23.7%
1986 17.0% -0.2%
1987 18.3% +7.5%
1988 20.9% +14.6%
1989 14.5% -30.6%
1990 12.4% -14.6%
1991 11.8% -5.0%
1992 10.1% -14.7%
1993 7.5% -25.9%
1994 6.6% -11.3%
1995 7.3% +9.9%
1996 6.6% -8.7%
1997 5.5% -17.0%
1998 6.7% +21.0%
1999 8.5% +27.9%
2000 11.7% +37.8%
2001 12.5% +6.8%
2002 12.3% -2.1%
2003 10.3% -16.1%
2004 10.6% +2.7%
2005 10.4% -1.3%
2006 11.9% +14.0%
2007 10.2% -14.0%
2008 13.2% +29.2%
2009 13.3% +0.3%
2010 9.7% -27.0%
2011 15.1% +56.4%
2012 15.2% +0.4%
2013 18.1% +18.9%
2014 19.5% +7.9%
2015 20.3% +4.1%
2016 20.0% -1.3%
2017 19.4% -3.1%
2018 18.1% -6.5%
2019 21.2% +16.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 19.0% 14.1% 22.1% 10
1970s 13.6% 9.3% 19.5% 10
1980s 19.5% 13.8% 24.4% 10
1990s 8.3% 5.5% 12.4% 10
2000s 11.7% 10.2% 13.3% 10
2010s 17.7% 9.7% 21.2% 10

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 40 Albania 21.5% compare
  2. 41 Mozambique 21.2% compare
  3. 42 Yemen 21.2% compare
  4. 44 Belgium 21.2% compare
  5. 45 Barbados 21.0% compare
  6. 46 Slovakia 21.0% compare

See the full ranking of 233 places →

More financial sector data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is claims on central government, etc. in Sri Lanka?
Claims on central government, etc. in Sri Lanka was 21.2% in 2019, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest claims on central government, etc. recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 24.4% in 1982.
What is the lowest claims on central government, etc. recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 5.5% in 1997.
How does Sri Lanka rank for claims on central government, etc.?
Sri Lanka ranks 43rd out of 186 countries with data for 2019.
Is claims on central government, etc. rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is up 59.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Claims on central government, etc. (% GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Claims on central government, etc. in Sri Lanka. Statizoid, drawing on International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://financial-sector.statizoid.com/stat/claims-on-central-government-etc-percent-gdp/sri-lanka/

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About this data

Indicator
Claims on central government, etc. (% GDP)
Unit
% GDP
Source
International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
233 places, 11,494 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Claims on central government include loans to central government institutions net of deposits. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.