Employee compensation as share of government spending in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Employee compensation as share of government spending was 18.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Sri Lanka, 1990–2023
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
In 2023, employee compensation as share of government spending in Sri Lanka stood at 18.9%. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 25.1% on the previous year and down 32.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employee compensation as share of government spending in Sri Lanka peaked at 29.9% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 18.9%, in 2023.
Sri Lanka ranks 103rd of 155 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 19.9% | — |
| 1991 | 18.9% | -4.7% |
| 1992 | 20.4% | +7.7% |
| 1993 | 22.8% | +11.6% |
| 1994 | 20.8% | -8.5% |
| 1995 | 20.1% | -3.3% |
| 1996 | 20.0% | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 22.0% | +10.0% |
| 1998 | 24.3% | +10.6% |
| 1999 | 24.9% | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 23.7% | -4.9% |
| 2001 | 23.3% | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 24.5% | +5.2% |
| 2003 | 24.6% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 24.5% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 28.0% | +14.1% |
| 2006 | 28.2% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 29.9% | +6.0% |
| 2008 | 28.2% | -5.5% |
| 2009 | 26.8% | -5.1% |
| 2010 | 27.8% | +3.9% |
| 2011 | 27.4% | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 25.7% | -6.3% |
| 2013 | 27.9% | +8.9% |
| 2014 | 28.8% | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 28.4% | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 28.7% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 26.7% | -7.1% |
| 2018 | 26.7% | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 27.1% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 26.6% | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 27.5% | +3.3% |
| 2022 | 25.2% | -8.2% |
| 2023 | 18.9% | -25.1% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 18.9% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 26.6%, 71% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 18.9% is below the median for South Asia, which is 19.6%, 96% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 21.4% | 18.9% | 24.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.2% | 23.3% | 29.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.5% | 25.7% | 28.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.6% | 18.9% | 27.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More work & labour data for Sri Lanka
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.5555 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5407 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.5702 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.3 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.6 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 6,575 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 14,218 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 10,672 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 10,578 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 21,249 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employee compensation as share of government spending in Sri Lanka?
- Employee compensation as share of government spending in Sri Lanka was 18.9% in 2023, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 29.9% in 2007.
- What is the lowest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.9% in 2023.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for employee compensation as share of government spending?
- Sri Lanka ranks 103rd out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
- Is employee compensation as share of government spending rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employee compensation as share of government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employee compensation includes wages, in-kind payments, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions.