Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required was 29.2% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
29.2%
Change on year
up 14.1%
World rank
40th
of 134 countries
All-time high
49.4%
in 2012
All-time low
25.6%
in 2021
Years of data
19
2003–2022

Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required in Sri Lanka, 2003–2022

010203040502003201220222003: 45.2 % of people at risk2004: 46 % of people at risk2005: 44.4 % of people at risk2006: 44.2 % of people at risk2007: 46 % of people at risk2008: 48.8 % of people at risk2009: 49.3 % of people at risk2010: 49.3 % of people at risk2011: 47.1 % of people at risk2012: 49.4 % of people at risk2013: 41 % of people at risk2014: 35.3 % of people at risk2015: 30.5 % of people at risk2016: 30.5 % of people at risk2017: 30.2 % of people at risk2019: 27.1 % of people at risk2020: 26.1 % of people at risk2021: 25.6 % of people at risk2022: 29.2 % of people at risk

Source: Harvard Medical School Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of people at risk.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required in Sri Lanka is 29.2%, measured in 2022.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 14.1% on the previous year and down 40.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required in Sri Lanka peaked at 49.4% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 25.6%, in 2021.

That places Sri Lanka 40th out of 134 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 19 years of available data.

Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required in Sri Lanka, year by year

Annual values for Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required in Sri Lanka, 2003 to 2022.
Year % of people at risk Change
2003 45.2%
2004 46.0% +1.8%
2005 44.4% -3.5%
2006 44.2% -0.5%
2007 46.0% +4.1%
2008 48.8% +6.1%
2009 49.3% +1.0%
2010 49.3% +0.0%
2011 47.1% -4.5%
2012 49.4% +4.9%
2013 41.0% -17.0%
2014 35.3% -13.9%
2015 30.5% -13.6%
2016 30.5% +0.0%
2017 30.2% -1.0%
2019 27.1% -10.3%
2020 26.1% -3.7%
2021 25.6% -1.9%
2022 29.2% +14.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 46.3% 44.2% 49.3% 7
2010s 37.8% 27.1% 49.4% 9
2020s 27.0% 25.6% 29.2% 3

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 37 Lithuania 32.6% compare
  2. 38 Lesotho 30.0% compare
  3. 39 Belize 29.5% compare
  4. 41 Senegal 28.4% compare
  5. 42 Egypt 26.6% compare
  6. 43 Iraq 26.4% compare

See the full ranking of 134 places →

More population data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required in Sri Lanka?
Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required in Sri Lanka was 29.2% in 2022, according to Harvard Medical School Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 49.4% in 2012.
What is the lowest share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 25.6% in 2021.
How does Sri Lanka rank for share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required?
Sri Lanka ranks 40th out of 134 countries with data for 2022.
Is share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is down 40.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
The figures come from Harvard Medical School Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required in Sri Lanka. Statizoid, drawing on Harvard Medical School Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-the-population-at-risk-of-catastrophic-expenditure-when-surgical-care-is-required/sri-lanka/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required
Unit
% of people at risk
Source
Harvard Medical School Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
134 places, 2,380 data points, 2003–2022
Last refreshed

Catastrophic expenditure is defined as direct out-of-pocket payments for surgical and anaesthesia care exceeding 10% of total income.