GDP per capita (PPP)
Average output per person, adjusted for local buying power.
Source: World Bank Open Data · As of 2026 · Provisional · View source
Chart of GDP per capita (PPP) over time. 4,368 int'l $ (2000) → 18,246 int'l $ (2026).
Table
| Period | int'l $ |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 4,368 |
| 2001 | 4,328 |
| 2002 | 4,522 |
| 2003 | 4,850 |
| 2004 | 5,216 |
| 2005 | 5,679 |
| 2006 | 6,261 |
| 2007 | 6,820 |
| 2008 | 7,317 |
| 2009 | 7,576 |
| 2010 | 8,234 |
| 2011 | 9,076 |
| 2012 | 10,249 |
| 2013 | 11,253 |
| 2014 | 11,721 |
| 2015 | 12,227 |
| 2016 | 13,079 |
| 2017 | 13,610 |
| 2018 | 14,178 |
| 2019 | 14,113 |
| 2020 | 12,941 |
| 2021 | 14,316 |
| 2022 | 14,191 |
| 2023 | 14,512 |
| 2024 | 15,701 |
| 2025 | 17,065 |
| 2026 | 18,246* |
Sri Lanka's current situation
GDP per person (PPP) was 18,246 int'l $ in 2026, 1,181 int'l $ versus a year earlier and 3,930 int'l $ over five years. Compared with peers — Bangladesh: 10,154 · India: 11,748 · Vietnam: 18,088.
What is it?
GDP per capita divides total output by the population. The PPP (purchasing-power-parity) version adjusts for price differences between countries, so it reflects living standards better than the market-exchange-rate version.
A simple example
Two countries may each produce USD 5,000 per person, but if things are cheaper in one, people there can buy more. PPP corrects for that so the comparison is fair.
What happens when it is high
Rising GDP per person usually means higher average incomes and living standards — though it is an average and can hide inequality.
What happens when it is low
Stagnant or falling GDP per person means living standards are not improving, often because the population grows faster than the economy.
What is a healthy range
There is no fixed threshold; the goal is steady improvement toward upper-middle and high-income levels. No status rating is applied to the level.
What might happen next
Official projections
| Source | Year | int'l $ |
|---|---|---|
| International Monetary Fund | 2027 | 19,418 |
| International Monetary Fund | 2028 | 20,403 |
| International Monetary Fund | 2029 | 21,413 |
| International Monetary Fund | 2030 | 22,464 |
| International Monetary Fund | 2031 | 23,535 |
Simple statistical trend
A simple statistical trend, not a prediction of what will happen. Forecasts are uncertain and are not financial advice.
Upside: productivity gains, investment and reforms raise it. Downside: weak growth or rapid population growth hold it back. Not financial advice.
A simple statistical trend, not a prediction of what will happen. Forecasts are uncertain and are not financial advice.
For experts
It is the best single rough gauge of average material living standards and how they change over time.
How we calculate this
GDP per capita at purchasing power parity, current international dollars (World Bank). Annual.