Sri Lanka: Taxes on exports (current LCU)

Key figures

Over five years it is down 14.01% from 2.59 billion in 2018 (2.97% a year on average, compounded). Since 1990 it is down 12.57% from 2.55 billion in 1990 (0.41% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 17 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2023, Sri Lanka's taxes on exports (current LCU) fell 0.6% on 2022 (from 2.24 billion to 2.23 billion).

Across the 12 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2022), the average change was −17.5% and a typical year strayed about 34% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 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 37.5% in 2007 and the biggest yearly fall was 93.1% in 1993. 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 2023 the straight-line trend is downward, about 97.42 million a year. A straight line explains 58% of the movement over 8 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

Closest to Sri Lanka in the 2023 ranking

• Kazakhstan — 1st of 8: 2.14 trillion
• Côte d'Ivoire — 2nd of 8: 995.2 billion
• Cambodia — 3rd of 8: 131.58 billion
• Togo — 5th of 8: 1 billion
• Nepal — 6th of 8: 350.12 million
• Vanuatu — 7th of 8: 1.98 million

What this measures

Export taxes are taxes on goods or services that become payable to government when the goods leave the economic territory or when the services are delivered to non-residents. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.

Limitations: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

All 17 values

Taxes on exports (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Bangladesh — 5.89 million (2021)
• India — 1.12 billion (2018)
• Maldives — 33.52 million (2021)
• Nepal — 350.12 million (2023)

More public sector data for Sri Lanka

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 1.39 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 418.25 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 1.31% (2025)
• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 11 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 4.92% (2025)
• Net acquisition of financial assets (current LCU) — 234.09 billion (2023)
• Net acquisition of financial assets (% of GDP) — 0.85% (2023)
• Net incurrence of liabilities, total (current LCU) — 2.77 trillion (2023)
• Net incurrence of liabilities, total (% of GDP) — 10.07% (2023)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Sri Lanka's taxes on exports (current LCU)?

2.23 billion in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1990?

It is down 12.57% from 2.55 billion in 1990 (0.41% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 2.98 billion in 2017 and the lowest 4 million in 1997.

Is the latest change in taxes on exports (current LCU) unusual for Sri Lanka?

In 2023, Sri Lanka's taxes on exports (current LCU) fell 0.6% on 2022 (from 2.24 billion to 2.23 billion). Across the 12 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2022), the average change was −17.5% and a typical year strayed about 34% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GC.TAX.EXPT.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance 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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