Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public was 25.3% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Latest (2018)
25.3%
Change on year
up 26.7%
World rank
6th
of 124 countries
All-time high
29.0%
in 2016
All-time low
9.1%
in 2009
Years of data
10
2009–2018
Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Sri Lanka, 2009–2018
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 25.3% for capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in 2018.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 26.7% on the previous year and up 177.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Sri Lanka peaked at 29.0% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 9.1%, in 2009.
That places Sri Lanka 6th out of 124 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top 10%.
Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 9.1% | — |
| 2010 | 14.6% | +59.2% |
| 2011 | 16.8% | +15.4% |
| 2012 | 18.6% | +10.7% |
| 2013 | 21.7% | +16.8% |
| 2014 | 19.8% | -9.0% |
| 2015 | 19.3% | -2.5% |
| 2016 | 29.0% | +50.4% |
| 2017 | 20.0% | -31.0% |
| 2018 | 25.3% | +26.7% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 25.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.3%, 4.8× the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 25.3% is above the median for South Asia, which is 11.0%, 2.3× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.1% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 1 |
| 2010s | 20.6% | 14.6% | 29.0% | 9 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 3 Gambia 42.2%
- 4 Ethiopia 38.3% compare
- 5 Bangladesh 29.0% compare
- 7 Sierra Leone 24.5% compare
- 8 Cayman Islands 24.2% compare
- 9 Viet Nam 21.9% compare
More education data for Sri Lanka
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 155,543 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 224,799 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 214,300 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.54 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.58 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -2.89 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0715 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Sri Lanka?
- Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Sri Lanka was 25.3% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 29.0% in 2016.
- What is the lowest capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.1% in 2009.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public?
- Sri Lanka ranks 6th out of 124 countries with data for 2018.
- Is capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 177.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public institutions (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release