Sri Lanka

presidential republic

name: Colombo (commercial capital); Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital) geographic coordinates: 6 55 N, 79 50 E time difference: UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the origin of Colombo's name is unclear; it may derive from the Sinhalese words kola (leaves) and amba (mango), referring to local mango trees, or from the name Kelantotta, referring to a ferry that crossed the Kelani River; the name was corrupted to Kolambu by Arab traders, and 16th-century Portuguese settlers then called it Colombo, possibly referring to explorer Christopher COLUMBUS; the legislative capital's name, Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, is composed of the Sanskrit honorific sri, the name of Sri Lankan President J.R. JAYEWARDENE, and the Hindi word pura (town)

chief of state: President Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE (since 23 September 2024) head of government: President Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE (since 23 September 2024) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister election/appointment process: president directly elected by preferential majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president most recent election date: 21 September 2024 election results: 2024: Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE elected president; percent of vote after reallocation - Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE (JVP) 55.9%, Sajith PREMADASA (SJB) 44.1% expected date of next election: 2029 note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

legislature name: Parliament legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 225 (196 directly elected; 29 indirectly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 11/14/2024 parties elected and seats per party: National People's Power (Jathika Jana Balawegaya, NPP) (159); Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) (40); Other (26) percentage of women in chamber: 9.8% expected date of next election: November 2029

highest court(s): Supreme Court of the Republic (consists of the chief justice and 9 justices); has exclusive jurisdiction to review legislation judge selection and term of office: chief justice nominated by the Constitutional Council (CC), a 9-member high-level advisory body, and appointed by the president; other justices nominated by the CC and appointed by the president on the advice of the chief justice; all justices can serve until age 65 subordinate courts: Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrates' Courts; municipal and primary courts

history: several previous; latest adopted 16 August 1978, certified 31 August 1978 amendment process: proposed by Parliament; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of its total membership, certification by the president of the republic or the Parliament speaker, and in some cases approval in a referendum by absolute majority of valid votes

ABEDA, ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CD, CICA (observer), CP, FAO, G-11, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, SCO (dialogue member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

1.5% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.6% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.7% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.9% of GDP (2021 est.) 2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Sri Lanka Armed Forces: Sri Lanka Army (includes National Guard and the Volunteer Force), Sri Lanka Navy (includes Marine Corps), Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Coast Guard; Civil Security Department (Home Guard) Ministry of Public Security: Sri Lanka Police (2025) note: the Civil Security Department, also known as the Civil Defense Force, is an auxiliary force administered by the Ministry of Defense

generally 18-24 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women, although upper age limits may vary by branch of service, roles, specialties, etc; no conscription (2026)

the military of Sri Lanka is responsible for external defense, maritime security, and maintaining internal security; it has sent small numbers of personnel on UN peacekeeping missions; from 1983 to 2009, the military fought against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a conflict that involved both guerrilla and conventional warfare, as well as acts of terrorism and human rights abuses, and cost the military nearly 30,000 killed; since the end of the war, a large portion of the Army reportedly remains deployed in the majority Tamil-populated northern and eastern provinces; the military over the past decade also has increased its role in a range of commercial sectors including agriculture, hotels, leisure, and restaurants Sri Lanka traditionally has had close security ties to India; the Sri Lankan and Indian militaries conduct exercises together, and India trains approximately 1,000 Sri Lankan soldiers per year; in recent years, Sri Lanka has increased military ties with China, including acquiring military equipment, hosting naval port calls, and sending personnel to China for training (2025)

120 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 130 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2025)

$301.407 billion (2024 est.) $287.031 billion (2023 est.) $293.878 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$13,800 (2024 est.) $13,000 (2023 est.) $13,200 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

5% (2024 est.) -2.3% (2023 est.) -7.3% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

-0.4% (2024 est.) 16.5% (2023 est.) 49.7% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

79.1% of GDP (2017 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

$17.327 billion (2023 est.) $16.169 billion (2022 est.) $14.974 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

$18.823 billion (2023 est.) $19.244 billion (2022 est.) $21.526 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

5% (2024 est.) 6% (2023 est.) 4.6% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

revenues: $9.387 billion (2023 est.) expenditures: $17.144 billion (2023 est.) note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agricultural commodities; tourism; clothing and textiles; mining

rice, coconuts, tea, sugarcane, plantains, milk, fiber crops, cassava, chicken, pumpkins/squash (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 22,050,561 (2025 est.) male: 10,668,528 female: 11,382,033

0.22% (2025 est.)

0-14 years: 22.6% (male 2,537,918/female 2,423,615) 15-64 years: 65% (male 6,954,869/female 7,336,897) 65 years and over: 12.4% (2024 est.) (male 1,149,256/female 1,580,053)

14.38 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

7.65 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-4.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 76.8 years (2024 est.) male: 73.7 years female: 79.9 years

urban population: 19.2% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.22% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Sinhalese 74.9%, Sri Lankan Tamil 11.2%, Sri Lankan Moors 9.2%, Indian Tamil 4.2%, other 0.5% (2012 est.)

Sinhala (official) 87%, Tamil (official) 28.5%, English 23.8% (2012 est.) note: data represent main languages spoken by the population aged 10 years and older; shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census; English is commonly used in government and is referred to as the "link language" in the constitution

Buddhist (official) 70.2%, Hindu 12.6%, Muslim 9.7%, Roman Catholic 6.1%, other Christian 1.3%, other 0.05% (2012 est.)

total population: 92.7% (2023 est.) male: 93.4% (2023 est.) female: 92% (2023 est.)

limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower, arable land

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

refugees: 500 (2024 est.) IDPs: 5,549 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 229 (2024 est.)

18 (2025)

total: 1,562 km (2016) broad gauge: 1,562 km (2016) 1.676-m gauge

total: 96 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 5, general cargo 15, oil tanker 11, other 65

total subscriptions: 30.6 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 133 (2024 est.)

percent of population: 51% (2023 est.)