Debt service on external debt, total in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Debt service on external debt, total was 4.81 billion TDS, current US$ in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
4.81 billion TDS, current US$
Change on year
up 68.3%
World rank
35th
of 122 countries
All-time high
7.40 billion TDS, current US$
in 2018
All-time low
65.47 million TDS, current US$
in 1971
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Debt service on external debt, total in Sri Lanka, 1970–2024
Source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Measured in TDS, current US$.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 4.81 billion TDS, current US$ for debt service on external debt, total in 2024.
The figure is up 68.3% on the previous year and down 25.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, debt service on external debt, total in Sri Lanka peaked at 7.40 billion TDS, current US$ in 2018 and was at its lowest, 65.47 million TDS, current US$, in 1971.
Sri Lanka ranks 35th of 122 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Debt service on external debt, total in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | TDS, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 68.55 million TDS, current US$ | — |
| 1971 | 65.47 million TDS, current US$ | -4.5% |
| 1972 | 76.80 million TDS, current US$ | +17.3% |
| 1973 | 79.46 million TDS, current US$ | +3.5% |
| 1974 | 97.53 million TDS, current US$ | +22.7% |
| 1975 | 169.29 million TDS, current US$ | +73.6% |
| 1976 | 159.76 million TDS, current US$ | -5.6% |
| 1977 | 167.84 million TDS, current US$ | +5.1% |
| 1978 | 146.72 million TDS, current US$ | -12.6% |
| 1979 | 160.46 million TDS, current US$ | +9.4% |
| 1980 | 179.76 million TDS, current US$ | +12.0% |
| 1981 | 212.59 million TDS, current US$ | +18.3% |
| 1982 | 245.43 million TDS, current US$ | +15.4% |
| 1983 | 266.15 million TDS, current US$ | +8.4% |
| 1984 | 274.62 million TDS, current US$ | +3.2% |
| 1985 | 320.89 million TDS, current US$ | +16.8% |
| 1986 | 399.47 million TDS, current US$ | +24.5% |
| 1987 | 497.81 million TDS, current US$ | +24.6% |
| 1988 | 488.14 million TDS, current US$ | -1.9% |
| 1989 | 423.02 million TDS, current US$ | -13.3% |
| 1990 | 384.72 million TDS, current US$ | -9.1% |
| 1991 | 421.23 million TDS, current US$ | +9.5% |
| 1992 | 453.03 million TDS, current US$ | +7.5% |
| 1993 | 408.62 million TDS, current US$ | -9.8% |
| 1994 | 415.69 million TDS, current US$ | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 452.06 million TDS, current US$ | +8.7% |
| 1996 | 466.97 million TDS, current US$ | +3.3% |
| 1997 | 531.52 million TDS, current US$ | +13.8% |
| 1998 | 585.95 million TDS, current US$ | +10.2% |
| 1999 | 760.44 million TDS, current US$ | +29.8% |
| 2000 | 791.29 million TDS, current US$ | +4.1% |
| 2001 | 743.94 million TDS, current US$ | -6.0% |
| 2002 | 710.14 million TDS, current US$ | -4.5% |
| 2003 | 610.91 million TDS, current US$ | -14.0% |
| 2004 | 778.15 million TDS, current US$ | +27.4% |
| 2005 | 441.26 million TDS, current US$ | -43.3% |
| 2006 | 955.52 million TDS, current US$ | +116.5% |
| 2007 | 872.02 million TDS, current US$ | -8.7% |
| 2008 | 1.24 billion TDS, current US$ | +42.8% |
| 2009 | 1.42 billion TDS, current US$ | +14.3% |
| 2010 | 1.41 billion TDS, current US$ | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 1.31 billion TDS, current US$ | -6.6% |
| 2012 | 2.13 billion TDS, current US$ | +61.7% |
| 2013 | 2.14 billion TDS, current US$ | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 6.46 billion TDS, current US$ | +201.5% |
| 2015 | 3.55 billion TDS, current US$ | -45.0% |
| 2016 | 3.32 billion TDS, current US$ | -6.4% |
| 2017 | 4.21 billion TDS, current US$ | +26.7% |
| 2018 | 7.40 billion TDS, current US$ | +75.6% |
| 2019 | 6.24 billion TDS, current US$ | -15.6% |
| 2020 | 5.05 billion TDS, current US$ | -19.1% |
| 2021 | 4.75 billion TDS, current US$ | -5.9% |
| 2022 | 3.33 billion TDS, current US$ | -29.8% |
| 2023 | 2.86 billion TDS, current US$ | -14.3% |
| 2024 | 4.81 billion TDS, current US$ | +68.3% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 4.81 billion TDS, current US$ is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2.21 billion TDS, current US$, 2.2× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 4.81 billion TDS, current US$ is above the median for South Asia, which is 2.67 billion TDS, current US$, 1.8× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Debt service on external debt, total in Sri Lanka changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | +201.5% | 2.14 billion TDS, current US$ | 6.46 billion TDS, current US$ |
| 2006 | +116.5% | 441.26 million TDS, current US$ | 955.52 million TDS, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 119.19 million TDS, current US$ | 65.47 million TDS, current US$ | 169.29 million TDS, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 330.79 million TDS, current US$ | 179.76 million TDS, current US$ | 497.81 million TDS, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 488.02 million TDS, current US$ | 384.72 million TDS, current US$ | 760.44 million TDS, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 857.11 million TDS, current US$ | 441.26 million TDS, current US$ | 1.42 billion TDS, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.82 billion TDS, current US$ | 1.31 billion TDS, current US$ | 7.40 billion TDS, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.16 billion TDS, current US$ | 2.86 billion TDS, current US$ | 5.05 billion TDS, current US$ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 32 Mongolia 5.42 billion TDS, current US$ compare
- 33 Cote d'Ivoire 5.39 billion TDS, current US$ compare
- 34 Belarus 5.34 billion TDS, current US$ compare
- 36 Georgia 4.81 billion TDS, current US$ compare
- 37 Mozambique 4.54 billion TDS, current US$ compare
- 38 Jordan 4.51 billion TDS, current US$ compare
More external debt data for Sri Lanka
- IFC, private nonguaranteed -48.93 million NFL, US$ (2024)
- IFC, private nonguaranteed (NFL, US$), per capita -2.23 NFL, US$ per person (2024)
- IFC, private nonguaranteed (NFL, US$), per unit of GDP -0.0005 NFL, US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- IFC, private nonguaranteed (NFL, US$), per square kilometre -592.87 NFL, US$ per square kilometre (2023)
- Public and publicly guaranteed debt service 2.8% (2024)
- Net financial flows, IDA 260.96 million NFL, current US$ (2024)
- Net financial flows, IDA (NFL, current US$), per capita 11.91 NFL, current US$ per person (2024)
- Net financial flows, IDA (NFL, current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0026 NFL, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Net financial flows, IBRD 64.29 million NFL, current US$ (2024)
- Public and publicly guaranteed debt service 13.4% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is debt service on external debt, total in Sri Lanka?
- Debt service on external debt, total in Sri Lanka was 4.81 billion TDS, current US$ in 2024, according to International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest debt service on external debt, total recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 7.40 billion TDS, current US$ in 2018.
- What is the lowest debt service on external debt, total recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 65.47 million TDS, current US$ in 1971.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for debt service on external debt, total?
- Sri Lanka ranks 35th out of 122 countries with data for 2024.
- Is debt service on external debt, total rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), published as part of Debt service on external debt, total (TDS, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Total debt service is the sum of principal repayments and interest actually paid in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt, interest paid on short-term debt, and repayments (repurchases and charges) to the IMF. Data are in current U.S. dollars.