In 2024, general government expenditure as a share of GDP in Sri Lanka was 19.1 %, down from 19.5 % in 2023. Explore the historical series and compare Sri Lanka with other economies below.
Government expenditure (% of GDP)
Total expenditure of the general government
Sri Lanka
Year
%
2024
19.1
2023
19.5
2022
18.6
2021
20.0
2020
22.1
2019
19.5
2018
17.5
2017
17.9
2016
18.2
2015
19.3
2014
17.2
2013
16.6
2012
17.3
2011
19.1
2010
19.3
2009
21.0
2008
19.1
2007
19.9
2006
20.5
2005
20.1
2004
19.3
2003
19.3
2002
20.8
2001
22.4
2000
21.7
How Sri Lanka compares
Government expenditure (% of GDP) compared with other countries
No countries selected. Select at least one country to display data.
No country matches this search.
Government expenditure (% of GDP)
About this indicator
This indicator measures general government total expenditure as a percentage of GDP. It captures all spending by the consolidated public sector in a given year, including wages and social benefits, interest payments, subsidies, transfers, and net acquisition of nonfinancial assets. Comparing expenditure-to-GDP ratios across countries shows the size of government relative to the economy. A higher ratio means the public sector accounts for a larger share of economic activity. The series follows the IMF World Economic Outlook definition of government expenditure, under the Government Finance Statistics Manual (GFSM) framework.
Sources and updates
Data sources
The data for this indicator are drawn from the IMF World Economic Outlook.
Last update
This indicator was last updated on Econorama on 18 June 2026 and reflects the latest data available from the underlying sources at that time.