International debt issues to GDP in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: International debt issues to GDP was 20.2% in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
20.2%
Change on year
down 2.0%
World rank
56th
of 116 countries
All-time high
20.6%
in 2019
All-time low
0.2%
in 1984
Years of data
32
1982–2020

International debt issues to GDP in Sri Lanka, 1982–2020

051015201982200120201982: 0.273 %1983: 0.252 %1984: 0.199 %1985: 0.251 %1986: 0.297 %1987: 0.374 %1988: 0.344 %1989: 0.301 %1990: 0.274 %1991: 0.267 %1997: 0.331 %1998: 0.728 %1999: 0.735 %2002: 2.5 %2003: 2.2 %2004: 2.5 %2005: 2.1 %2006: 1.8 %2007: 3.1 %2008: 2.3 %2009: 3.2 %2010: 4.1 %2011: 5.1 %2012: 6.4 %2013: 7.7 %2014: 9.6 %2015: 11.5 %2016: 13.1 %2017: 13.5 %2018: 16.1 %2019: 20.6 %2020: 20.2 %

Source: Bank for International Settlements (BIS). Measured in %.

Analysis

Sri Lanka recorded 20.2% for international debt issues to gdp in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.0% on the previous year and up 388.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, international debt issues to gdp in Sri Lanka peaked at 20.6% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 1984.

Sri Lanka ranks 56th of 116 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.

International debt issues to GDP in Sri Lanka, year by year

Annual values for International debt issues to GDP (%) in Sri Lanka, 1982 to 2020.
Year % Change
1982 0.3%
1983 0.3% -7.7%
1984 0.2% -21.1%
1985 0.3% +26.4%
1986 0.3% +18.2%
1987 0.4% +26.1%
1988 0.3% -8.1%
1989 0.3% -12.6%
1990 0.3% -8.9%
1991 0.3% -2.6%
1997 0.3% +24.2%
1998 0.7% +119.8%
1999 0.7% +0.9%
2002 2.5% +241.7%
2003 2.2% -12.4%
2004 2.5% +13.4%
2005 2.1% -15.3%
2006 1.8% -13.7%
2007 3.1% +72.3%
2008 2.3% -25.6%
2009 3.2% +37.5%
2010 4.1% +29.1%
2011 5.1% +23.8%
2012 6.4% +23.9%
2013 7.7% +20.7%
2014 9.6% +25.3%
2015 11.5% +19.8%
2016 13.1% +13.6%
2017 13.5% +3.0%
2018 16.1% +19.7%
2019 20.6% +28.0%
2020 20.2% -2.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0.3% 0.2% 0.4% 8
1990s 0.5% 0.3% 0.7% 5
2000s 2.5% 1.8% 3.2% 8
2010s 10.8% 4.1% 20.6% 10
2020s 20.2% 20.2% 20.2% 1

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 53 United States of America 21.4% compare
  2. 54 Ecuador 20.6% compare
  3. 55 Tunisia 20.5% compare
  4. 57 Philippines 20.0% compare
  5. 58 Romania 19.8% compare
  6. 59 Türkiye 19.6% compare

See the full ranking of 116 places →

More financial sector data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is international debt issues to gdp in Sri Lanka?
International debt issues to gdp in Sri Lanka was 20.2% in 2020, according to Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
What is the highest international debt issues to gdp recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 20.6% in 2019.
What is the lowest international debt issues to gdp recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 1984.
How does Sri Lanka rank for international debt issues to gdp?
Sri Lanka ranks 56th out of 116 countries with data for 2020.
Is international debt issues to gdp rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is up 388.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
The figures come from Bank for International Settlements (BIS), published as part of International debt issues to GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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International debt issues to GDP in Sri Lanka. Statizoid, drawing on Bank for International Settlements (BIS). Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://financial-sector.statizoid.com/stat/international-debt-issues-to-gdp-percent/sri-lanka/

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About this data

Indicator
International debt issues to GDP (%)
Unit
%
Source
Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
116 places, 2,874 data points, 1980–2020
Last refreshed

Total value of outstanding international debt issues both public and private, as a share of GDP. Offshore bank loan data from BIS Statistical Appendix Table 12A (Amount Outstanding): International debt securities - all issuers.