Sri Lanka: Net secondary income (current US$, BoP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Sri Lanka's net secondary income (current US$, BoP) rose 23.4% on 2024 (from US$6.44 billion to US$7.95 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +8.4% and a typical year strayed about 16.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.9 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 141.5% in 1979 and the biggest yearly fall was 33.1% in 2022. 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 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 21st highest value of the 136 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

• Dominican Republic — 17th of 136: US$11.3 billion
• El Salvador — 18th of 136: US$10.03 billion
• Thailand — 19th of 136: US$9.27 billion
• Peru — 21st of 136: US$7.91 billion
• Kenya — 22nd of 136: US$7.39 billion
• Ecuador — 23rd of 136: US$7.16 billion

What this measures

Net secondary income (from abroad) comprises transfers of income between residents of the reporting country and the rest of the world that carry no provisions for repayment. Net secondary income is equal to the unrequited transfers of income from nonresidents to residents minus the unrequited transfers from residents to nonresidents. 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.

Limitations: Discrepancies may arise in the balance of payments because there is no single source for balance of payments data and therefore no way to ensure that the data are fully consistent. Sources include customs data, monetary accounts of the banking system, external debt records, information provided by enterprises, surveys to estimate service transactions, and foreign exchange records. Differences in collection methods - such as in timing, definitions of residence and ownership, and the exchange rate used to value transactions - contribute to net errors and omissions. In addition, smuggling and other illegal or quasi-legal transactions may be unrecorded or misrecorded.

All 51 values

Net secondary income (current US$, BoP) in nearby economies

• Bangladesh — US$33.51 billion (2025)
• Bhutan — US$80.6 million (2024)
• India — US$133.91 billion (2025)
• Maldives — −US$653.29 million (2025)
• Nepal — US$15.88 billion (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

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Questions people ask

What is Sri Lanka's net secondary income (current US$, BoP)?

US$7.95 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1975?

It is up 9,826% from US$80.06 million in 1975 (9.63% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$7.95 billion in 2025 and the lowest US$65.15 million in 1976.

How does Sri Lanka rank?

21st highest of 136 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in net secondary income (current US$, BoP) unusual for Sri Lanka?

In 2025, Sri Lanka's net secondary income (current US$, BoP) rose 23.4% on 2024 (from US$6.44 billion to US$7.95 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +8.4% and a typical year strayed about 16.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.9 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator BN.TRF.CURR.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) 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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