Government debt (LKR)
The total the government owes, in rupees.
Source: International Monetary Fund · As of 2026 · Provisional · View source
Chart of Government debt (LKR) over time. 1.22 LKR tn (2000) → 34.44 LKR tn (2026).
Table
| Period | LKR tn |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 1.22 |
| 2001 | 1.45 |
| 2002 | 1.86 |
| 2003 | 1.86 |
| 2004 | 2.14 |
| 2005 | 2.22 |
| 2006 | 2.58 |
| 2007 | 3.04 |
| 2008 | 3.59 |
| 2009 | 4.16 |
| 2010 | 4.56 |
| 2011 | 5.20 |
| 2012 | 6.07 |
| 2013 | 6.90 |
| 2014 | 7.50 |
| 2015 | 8.83 |
| 2016 | 9.61 |
| 2017 | 10.40 |
| 2018 | 12.83 |
| 2019 | 13.14 |
| 2020 | 15.16 |
| 2021 | 18.08 |
| 2022 | 27.90 |
| 2023 | 30.26 |
| 2024 | 30.15 |
| 2025 | 31.70 |
| 2026 | 34.44* |
Sri Lanka's current situation
Government debt was 34.44 LKR tn in 2026, 2.74 LKR tn compared with a year earlier.
What is it?
Gross general government debt — loans and bonds owed to lenders at home and abroad — in rupees. Foreign-currency debt is converted at the exchange rate, so a weaker rupee raises the rupee total.
A simple example
Rs 32 trillion spread across about 22 million people is roughly Rs 1.45 million per person.
What happens when it is high
A rising rupee total mostly reflects new borrowing and a weaker rupee; it matters most relative to the size of the economy.
What happens when it is low
A falling rupee total is rare; it usually follows debt restructuring or a stronger rupee.
What is a healthy range
Judge debt against GDP (see "Government debt, % of GDP"). No rating is applied to the rupee level.
What might happen next
Official projections
| Source | Year | LKR tn |
|---|---|---|
| International Monetary Fund | 2027 | 36.18 |
| International Monetary Fund | 2028 | 38.59 |
| International Monetary Fund | 2029 | 40.68 |
| International Monetary Fund | 2030 | 42.88 |
| International Monetary Fund | 2031 | 45.36 |
Simple statistical trend
No data yet
Debt grows with deficits and rupee depreciation, and falls with surpluses, growth and restructuring. Not financial advice.
A simple statistical trend, not a prediction of what will happen. Forecasts are uncertain and are not financial advice.
For experts
The rupee total shows the scale of what future taxpayers must service.
How we calculate this
General government gross debt, national currency (IMF WEO, code GGXWDG), shown in LKR trillion. The latest year is an IMF estimate.