Money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of GDP in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of GDP was 6.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of GDP in Sri Lanka, 1975–2024
Source: World Bank staff estimates based on IMF and OECD data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2024, money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of gdp in Sri Lanka stood at 6.7%.
That represents a change of down 5.8% on the previous year and down 20.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of gdp in Sri Lanka peaked at 8.5% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 1975.
That places Sri Lanka 49th out of 194 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
Money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of GDP in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 0.2% | — |
| 1976 | 0.4% | +59.8% |
| 1977 | 0.5% | +24.8% |
| 1978 | 1.4% | +217.1% |
| 1979 | 1.8% | +25.0% |
| 1980 | 3.8% | +111.1% |
| 1981 | 5.2% | +37.9% |
| 1982 | 6.1% | +16.7% |
| 1983 | 5.7% | -6.1% |
| 1984 | 5.0% | -12.6% |
| 1985 | 4.9% | -2.0% |
| 1986 | 5.1% | +4.3% |
| 1987 | 5.2% | +2.9% |
| 1988 | 5.1% | -2.2% |
| 1989 | 5.1% | -0.0% |
| 1990 | 5.0% | -2.6% |
| 1991 | 4.9% | -1.6% |
| 1992 | 5.6% | +14.9% |
| 1993 | 6.1% | +8.3% |
| 1994 | 6.1% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 6.1% | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 6.1% | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 6.2% | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 6.4% | +3.9% |
| 1999 | 6.8% | +5.4% |
| 2000 | 7.0% | +2.7% |
| 2001 | 7.4% | +6.8% |
| 2002 | 7.8% | +5.5% |
| 2003 | 7.5% | -3.8% |
| 2004 | 7.6% | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 8.1% | +6.3% |
| 2006 | 7.7% | -5.3% |
| 2007 | 7.8% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 7.2% | -7.3% |
| 2009 | 7.9% | +10.4% |
| 2010 | 7.0% | -11.4% |
| 2011 | 7.6% | +8.2% |
| 2012 | 8.5% | +12.0% |
| 2013 | 8.3% | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 8.5% | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 8.2% | -3.5% |
| 2016 | 8.3% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 7.6% | -7.7% |
| 2018 | 7.5% | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 7.6% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 8.5% | +11.7% |
| 2021 | 6.2% | -26.4% |
| 2022 | 5.2% | -17.4% |
| 2023 | 7.2% | +39.0% |
| 2024 | 6.7% | -5.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.9% | 0.2% | 1.8% | 5 |
| 1980s | 5.1% | 3.8% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.9% | 4.9% | 6.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.6% | 7.0% | 8.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.9% | 7.0% | 8.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.8% | 5.2% | 8.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More population data for Sri Lanka
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -1.29 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.5555 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.0083 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.5555 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.6% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 901,396 people (2100)
- Population density 343.51 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.6% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6507 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.1332 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of gdp in Sri Lanka?
- Money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of gdp in Sri Lanka was 6.7% in 2024, according to World Bank staff estimates based on IMF and OECD data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of gdp recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 8.5% in 2014.
- What is the lowest money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of gdp recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 1975.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of gdp?
- Sri Lanka ranks 49th out of 194 countries with data for 2024.
- Is money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of gdp rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank staff estimates based on IMF and OECD data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Money sent or brought back by migrants refers to remittances a country has received in this year.