Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is an upper middle income economy in South Asia, with its capital at Colombo. 100.0% of its people had electricity in 2024.
- Electricity access
- 100.0%
- 2024, world 91.9%
- Renewable electricity
- 49.2%
- 2021, world 27.8%
- CO₂ per person
- 1.06 t
- 2024, world 4.69 t
- Consumption per person
- 695 kWh
- 2024, world 3,708 kWh
- Clean cooking
- 31.0%
- 2024, world 75.4%
- GDP per person
- 5,002
- 2025, world 14,406
Electricity generation mix
- Oil
- Coal
- Gas
- Hydro
- Nuclear
- Solar, wind & other
Sri Lanka2024
South Asia2024
World2025
View data table
| Economy | Oil | Coal | Gas | Hydro | Nuclear | Solar, wind & other | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | 14.0% | 32.6% | 0.0% | 41.0% | 0.0% | 7.8% | 2024 |
| South Asia | 1.3% | 69.1% | 5.7% | 8.2% | 2.6% | 8.5% | 2024 |
| World | 1.2% | 15.1% | 28.7% | 15.2% | 15.2% | 12.4% | 2025 |
Share of electricity production by source, latest year available. Shares may not sum to exactly 100% because of rounding and minor sources.
Access to electricity
% of population, compared with South Asia and the world.
- Sri Lanka
- World
- South Asia
0%
50%
100%
Sri LankaSouth AsiaWorld View data table
| Year | Sri Lanka | World | South Asia |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 100.0% | 91.9% | 99.8% |
| 2023 | 100.0% | 91.6% | 99.4% |
| 2022 | 100.0% | 91.3% | 99.1% |
| 2021 | 100.0% | 91.3% | 99.4% |
| 2020 | 100.0% | 90.4% | 96.4% |
| 2019 | 99.8% | 90.1% | 95.5% |
| 2018 | 99.6% | 89.8% | 94.8% |
| 2017 | 97.5% | 88.9% | 91.4% |
| 2016 | 97.5% | 88.1% | 88.3% |
| 2015 | 94.3% | 86.9% | 86.5% |
| 2014 | 92.7% | 86.2% | 82.8% |
| 2013 | 90.2% | 85.7% | 80.8% |
| 2012 | 87.0% | 84.9% | 78.4% |
| 2011 | 87.8% | 84.5% | 77.3% |
| 2010 | 85.3% | 83.5% | 74.1% |
| 2009 | 87.1% | 82.9% | 73.0% |
| 2008 | 82.9% | 82.7% | 71.8% |
| 2007 | 80.0% | 82.0% | 69.3% |
| 2006 | 82.0% | 81.4% | 65.9% |
| 2005 | 78.1% | 80.7% | 65.9% |
| 2004 | 76.5% | 80.0% | 61.5% |
| 2003 | 75.0% | 80.0% | 62.3% |
| 2002 | 80.7% | 79.1% | 59.4% |
| 2001 | 63.6% | 78.7% | 58.3% |
| 2000 | 70.3% | 78.2% | 56.8% |
| 1999 | – | 74.5% | 56.0% |
| 1998 | – | 73.2% | 52.2% |
| 1997 | – | – | 50.3% |
| 1996 | – | – | 48.8% |
| 1995 | – | – | 47.7% |
Emissions
CO₂ per person, tonnes, excluding land use.
- Sri Lanka
- World
- South Asia
0 t
2 t
4 t
6 t
WorldSouth AsiaSri Lanka View data table
| Year | Sri Lanka | World | South Asia |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1.06 t | 4.69 t | 1.98 t |
| 2023 | 0.98 t | 4.68 t | 1.91 t |
| 2022 | 0.94 t | 4.67 t | 1.80 t |
| 2021 | 1.03 t | 4.68 t | 1.69 t |
| 2020 | 1.03 t | 4.47 t | 1.54 t |
| 2019 | 1.10 t | 4.70 t | 1.68 t |
| 2018 | 1.01 t | 4.73 t | 1.70 t |
| 2017 | 1.09 t | 4.67 t | 1.64 t |
| 2016 | 1.11 t | 4.65 t | 1.57 t |
| 2015 | 0.94 t | 4.70 t | 1.56 t |
| 2014 | 0.86 t | 4.78 t | 1.54 t |
| 2013 | 0.72 t | 4.81 t | 1.44 t |
| 2012 | 0.85 t | 4.77 t | 1.42 t |
| 2011 | 0.76 t | 4.76 t | 1.32 t |
| 2010 | 0.65 t | 4.67 t | 1.25 t |
| 2009 | 0.62 t | 4.45 t | 1.19 t |
| 2008 | 0.64 t | 4.56 t | 1.13 t |
| 2007 | 0.69 t | 4.59 t | 1.07 t |
| 2006 | 0.65 t | 4.48 t | 1.00 t |
| 2005 | 0.71 t | 4.39 t | 0.95 t |
| 2004 | 0.66 t | 4.28 t | 0.92 t |
| 2003 | 0.64 t | 4.15 t | 0.87 t |
| 2002 | 0.60 t | 4.02 t | 0.86 t |
| 2001 | 0.58 t | 4.01 t | 0.84 t |
| 2000 | 0.59 t | 4.01 t | 0.84 t |
| 1999 | 0.53 t | 3.95 t | 0.83 t |
| 1998 | 0.49 t | 3.98 t | 0.79 t |
| 1997 | 0.48 t | 4.02 t | 0.78 t |
| 1996 | 0.49 t | 4.01 t | 0.76 t |
| 1995 | 0.36 t | 3.99 t | 0.74 t |
Currency
330.78 LKR
per US dollar, mid-market reference. 1 LKR = ₦4.025
Sunshine in Colombo
4.7 kWh/m² today
- Tu4.7 kWh per square metre
- We4.9 kWh per square metre
- Th4.7 kWh per square metre
- Fr4.1 kWh per square metre
- Sa4.3 kWh per square metre
- Su5.3 kWh per square metre
- Mo5.3 kWh per square metre
Open-Meteo forecast, modelled irradiation.
Power plants
Installed capacity by fuel
48 plants, 3,720 MW recorded in WRI’s Global Power Plant Database.
- Hydro1,442 MW
- Oil1,205 MW
- Coal900 MW
- Wind129 MW
- Solar44 MW
Snapshot as of the database’s 2021 release; newer plants are not included. Nameplate capacity, not available generation.
Largest plants
| Plant | Fuel | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakvijaya | Coal | 900 | 2013 |
| CEB Kelantitissa | Oil | 382 | 1982 |
| Yugadanavi | Oil | 300 | 2007 |
| Victoria | Hydro | 210 | – |
| Kotmale | Hydro | 201 | – |
| Sojitz Kelanitissa | Oil | 168 | 2005 |
| Sapugaskanda | Oil | 160 | 1984 |
| Upper Kotmale | Hydro | 150 | – |
| Randenigala | Hydro | 126 | – |
| Samanala | Hydro | 124 | – |
| New Laxapana | Hydro | 100 | – |
| Kukule Ganga | Hydro | 80 | – |
All indicators
Sri Lanka in numbers
Energy access
| Indicator | Sri Lanka | Year | South Asia | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access to electricity % of population | 100.0% | 2024 | 99.8% | 91.9% |
| Access to electricity, rural % of rural population | 100.0% | 2024 | 99.8% | 84.9% |
| Access to electricity, urban % of urban population | 100.0% | 2024 | 99.9% | 97.8% |
| Access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking % of population | 31.0% | 2024 | 74.3% | 75.4% |
Power supply and mix
| Indicator | Sri Lanka | Year | South Asia | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity production from coal % of total | 32.6% | 2024 | 69.1% | 15.1% |
| Electricity production from natural gas % of total | 0.0% | 2021 | 5.7% | 28.7% |
| Electricity production from oil % of total | 14.0% | 2024 | 1.3% | 1.2% |
| Electricity production from nuclear % of total | 0.0% | 2021 | 2.6% | 15.2% |
| Electricity production from hydroelectric sources % of total | 41.0% | 2024 | 8.2% | 15.2% |
| Electric power transmission and distribution losses % of output | 9.4% | 2024 | 13.8% | 6.9% |
| Electric power consumption per capita kWh per capita | 695 kWh | 2024 | 1,140 kWh | 3,708 kWh |
Energy transition
| Indicator | Sri Lanka | Year | South Asia | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity production from renewables, excluding hydro % of total | 7.8% | 2021 | 8.5% | 12.4% |
| Renewable electricity output % of total electricity output | 49.2% | 2021 | 19.3% | 27.8% |
| Renewable energy consumption % of total final energy consumption | 48.8% | 2021 | 36.9% | 19.7% |
| CO₂ emissions per capita (excluding LULUCF) t CO₂e per capita | 1.06 t | 2024 | 1.98 t | 4.69 t |
| CO₂ emissions, total (excluding LULUCF) Mt CO₂e | 23.3 Mt | 2024 | 3,320.7 Mt | 39,632.7 Mt |
| Energy intensity of primary energy MJ per $2017 PPP GDP | 1.67 MJ/$ | 2021 | 3.94 MJ/$ | 4.54 MJ/$ |
Energy economy
| Indicator | Sri Lanka | Year | South Asia | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel exports % of merchandise exports | 3.6% | 2025 | 12.8% | 9.5% |
| Oil rents % of GDP | 0.00% | 2021 | 0.28% | 1.36% |
| Natural gas rents % of GDP | 0.00% | 2021 | 0.12% | 0.52% |
| GDP per capita current US$ | 5,002 | 2025 | 2,705 | 14,406 |
| Population, total people | 21.8M | 2025 | 1.7B | 8.2B |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0). Latest year available per series.