Sri Lanka: Total reserves, including gold (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Sri Lanka's total reserves, including gold (current US$) rose 38.3% on 2023 (from US$4.41 billion to US$6.09 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +8.4% and a typical year strayed about 37.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 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 216.9% in 1977 and the biggest yearly fall was 48.5% in 1980. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about US$398.45 million a year. A straight line explains 36% of the movement over 10 observed years.

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

How it compares

In 2024, Sri Lanka had the 8th highest value of the 32 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 2024 ranking

• Paraguay — 4th of 32: US$9.57 billion
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 5th of 32: US$9.42 billion
• Tunisia — 6th of 32: US$9.34 billion
• Cameroon — 8th of 32: US$5.06 billion
• Zambia — 9th of 32: US$4.09 billion
• Mozambique — 10th of 32: US$3.84 billion

What this measures

Reserve assets are external assets, including monetary gold, that are readily available to and controlled by monetary authorities for meeting balance of payments financing needs, for intervention in exchange markets to affect the currency exchange rate, and for other related purposes (such as maintaining confidence in the currency and the economy, and serving as a basis for foreign borrowing). Reserve assets must be denominated and settled in foreign currency. 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 65 values

Total reserves, including gold (current US$) in nearby economies

• Bangladesh — US$28.56 billion (2025)
• Bhutan — US$1.19 billion (2025)
• India — US$700.07 billion (2025)
• Maldives — US$984.57 million (2025)
• Nepal — US$21.1 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 total reserves, including gold (current US$)?

US$6.09 billion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1960?

It is up 5,918% from US$101.26 million in 1960 (6.61% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$8.21 billion in 2014 and the lowest US$40 million in 1969.

How does Sri Lanka rank?

8th highest of 32 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in total reserves, including gold (current US$) unusual for Sri Lanka?

In 2024, Sri Lanka's total reserves, including gold (current US$) rose 38.3% on 2023 (from US$4.41 billion to US$6.09 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +8.4% and a typical year strayed about 37.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 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 FI.RES.TOTL.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Financial Statistics database, 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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