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FISCAL • AnnualUpdated: 2026-08-01
Government Tax Revenue to GDP
රජයේ බදු ආදායම සහ GDP අනුපාතය • அரசாங்க வரி வருவாய் மற்றும் GDP விகிதம்
Current Observation
12.8 % of GDP
YoY Trajectory
+1.6 % of GDP
Policy Target Context
Higher value is generally positive
Historical Time Series (1995–2026)
Citizen Plain-Language Guide & Sri Lanka Context
What does this metric measure?
Measures the government's ability to raise revenue from the economy to fund public services and debt obligations.
Why does this matter to ordinary citizens?
A collapse in tax revenue was the primary structural trigger of Sri Lanka's 2022 insolvency. Sustainable states need 15%+ to function.
Sri Lanka's 1995–2026 Experience
Tax-to-GDP collapsed from 12.6% in 2019 to a record low of 7.3% in 2021 after sweeping tax cuts. Restored to ~12.8% by 2026 under the IMF revenue mobilization targets.
Historical Observations Table
| Period / Year | Value (% of GDP) | Source Tier |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 17.2 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2000 | 14.5 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2005 | 13.7 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2010 | 11.4 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2014 | 10.1 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2017 | 12.5 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2019 | 11.6 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2020 | 8.1 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2021 | 7.3 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2022 | 7.3 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2023 | 9.8 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2024 | 11.2 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2025 | 12.1 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2026 Target | 12.8 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |