Sri Lanka's net primary income (net income from abroad) (current US$) was −US$2.02 billion in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 0.07% from −US$2.02 billion in 2015.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | −US$2.02 billion | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | −US$2.28 billion | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | −US$2.02 billion | 2015 |
| Highest | US$49.01 million | 1982 |
| Lowest | −US$2.6 billion | 2024 |
| Average since 2016 | −US$2.27 billion | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | −US$3.44 million |
What the numbers say
In 2025, Sri Lanka's net primary income (net income from abroad) (current US$) rose US$575.21 million on 2024 (from −US$2.6 billion to −US$2.02 billion).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −US$84.19 million and a typical year strayed about US$243.73 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.7 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was US$575.21 million in 2025 and the biggest yearly fall was US$643.81 million in 2023. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2016 to 2025 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains less than 1% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2025, Sri Lanka had the 100th highest value of the 156 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
Closest to Sri Lanka in the 2025 ranking
- Ukraine — 97th of 156: −US$1.81 billion
- Paraguay — 98th of 156: −US$1.93 billion
- Azerbaijan — 99th of 156: −US$1.99 billion
- Mozambique — 101st of 156: −US$2.04 billion
- Tanzania — 102nd of 156: −US$2.07 billion
- Kenya — 103rd of 156: −US$2.13 billion
What this measures
Net primary income includes the net labor income and net property and entrepreneurial income components of the SNA. Labor income covers compensation of employees paid to nonresident workers. Property and entrepreneurial income covers investment income from the ownership of foreign financial claims (interest, dividends, rent, etc.) and nonfinancial property income (patents, copyrights, etc.). This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.
All 66 values
| Year | Net primary income (net income from abroad) (current US$) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | -2,022,429,100 |
| 2024 | -2,597,643,563 |
| 2023 | -2,545,083,564 |
| 2022 | -1,901,269,022 |
| 2021 | -1,988,808,282 |
| 2020 | -2,280,370,853 |
| 2019 | -2,468,955,759 |
| 2018 | -2,396,950,245 |
| 2017 | -2,314,454,241 |
| 2016 | -2,195,387,405 |
Net primary income (net income from abroad) (current US$) in nearby economies
- Bangladesh — US$25.05 billion (2025)
- Bhutan — −US$190.69 million (2024)
- India — −US$49.36 billion (2025)
- Maldives — −US$801.33 million (2025)
- Nepal — US$575.73 million (2025)
More economic policy & debt data for Sri Lanka
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$) — US$9.1 billion (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU) — 2.74 trillion (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) — US$6.84 billion (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant LCU) — 929.67 billion (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (% of GDP) — 8.36% (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$) — US$18.63 billion (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU) — 5.61 trillion (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (% of GDP) — 17.12% (2025)
- Industry, including construction, value added (current US$)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Sri Lanka's net primary income (net income from abroad) (current US$)?
- −US$2.02 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1960?
- It is down 58,670% from −US$3.44 million in 1960. The highest value was US$49.01 million in 1982 and the lowest −US$2.6 billion in 2024.
- How does Sri Lanka rank?
- 100th highest of 156 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in net primary income (net income from abroad) (current US$) unusual for Sri Lanka?
- In 2025, Sri Lanka's net primary income (net income from abroad) (current US$) rose US$575.21 million on 2024 (from −US$2.6 billion to −US$2.02 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −US$84.19 million and a typical year strayed about US$243.73 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.7 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator NY.GSR.NFCY.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs); National Accounts data files, Central Banks; Staff estimates, World Bank (WB) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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