Annual precipitation in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Annual precipitation was 2,057 millimeters in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
2,057 millimeters
Change on year
up 3.9%
World rank
28th
of 192 countries
All-time high
2,325 millimeters
in 2023
All-time low
860.87 millimeters
in 1950
Years of data
86
1940–2025
Annual precipitation in Sri Lanka, 1940–2025
Source: Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in millimeters.
Analysis
In 2025, annual precipitation in Sri Lanka stood at 2,057 millimeters.
The figure is up 3.9% on the previous year and down 6.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual precipitation in Sri Lanka peaked at 2,325 millimeters in 2023 and was at its lowest, 860.87 millimeters, in 1950.
Sri Lanka ranks 28th of 192 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 86 years of available data.
Annual precipitation in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | millimeters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 1,724 millimeters | — |
| 1941 | 1,561 millimeters | -9.4% |
| 1942 | 1,791 millimeters | +14.7% |
| 1943 | 1,600 millimeters | -10.7% |
| 1944 | 1,849 millimeters | +15.5% |
| 1945 | 1,515 millimeters | -18.1% |
| 1946 | 1,700 millimeters | +12.3% |
| 1947 | 1,653 millimeters | -2.8% |
| 1948 | 1,883 millimeters | +13.9% |
| 1949 | 1,127 millimeters | -40.1% |
| 1950 | 860.87 millimeters | -23.6% |
| 1951 | 1,464 millimeters | +70.0% |
| 1952 | 917.46 millimeters | -37.3% |
| 1953 | 1,155 millimeters | +25.8% |
| 1954 | 1,932 millimeters | +67.4% |
| 1955 | 1,957 millimeters | +1.3% |
| 1956 | 1,514 millimeters | -22.6% |
| 1957 | 1,707 millimeters | +12.7% |
| 1958 | 1,620 millimeters | -5.1% |
| 1959 | 1,464 millimeters | -9.6% |
| 1960 | 1,727 millimeters | +17.9% |
| 1961 | 1,529 millimeters | -11.5% |
| 1962 | 1,830 millimeters | +19.7% |
| 1963 | 1,994 millimeters | +9.0% |
| 1964 | 1,736 millimeters | -12.9% |
| 1965 | 2,189 millimeters | +26.1% |
| 1966 | 1,811 millimeters | -17.3% |
| 1967 | 1,936 millimeters | +7.0% |
| 1968 | 1,571 millimeters | -18.9% |
| 1969 | 1,834 millimeters | +16.7% |
| 1970 | 1,652 millimeters | -9.9% |
| 1971 | 1,665 millimeters | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 1,514 millimeters | -9.1% |
| 1973 | 1,534 millimeters | +1.3% |
| 1974 | 1,170 millimeters | -23.7% |
| 1975 | 1,650 millimeters | +41.0% |
| 1976 | 1,402 millimeters | -15.1% |
| 1977 | 1,727 millimeters | +23.2% |
| 1978 | 1,789 millimeters | +3.6% |
| 1979 | 1,643 millimeters | -8.2% |
| 1980 | 1,309 millimeters | -20.3% |
| 1981 | 1,403 millimeters | +7.1% |
| 1982 | 1,463 millimeters | +4.3% |
| 1983 | 1,248 millimeters | -14.7% |
| 1984 | 2,058 millimeters | +64.9% |
| 1985 | 1,669 millimeters | -18.9% |
| 1986 | 1,464 millimeters | -12.3% |
| 1987 | 1,610 millimeters | +9.9% |
| 1988 | 1,602 millimeters | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 1,500 millimeters | -6.4% |
| 1990 | 1,576 millimeters | +5.1% |
| 1991 | 1,439 millimeters | -8.7% |
| 1992 | 1,349 millimeters | -6.2% |
| 1993 | 1,753 millimeters | +29.9% |
| 1994 | 1,844 millimeters | +5.2% |
| 1995 | 1,556 millimeters | -15.6% |
| 1996 | 1,613 millimeters | +3.7% |
| 1997 | 1,802 millimeters | +11.7% |
| 1998 | 1,524 millimeters | -15.5% |
| 1999 | 1,693 millimeters | +11.1% |
| 2000 | 1,755 millimeters | +3.6% |
| 2001 | 1,549 millimeters | -11.7% |
| 2002 | 1,699 millimeters | +9.7% |
| 2003 | 1,606 millimeters | -5.5% |
| 2004 | 1,742 millimeters | +8.5% |
| 2005 | 1,614 millimeters | -7.4% |
| 2006 | 1,894 millimeters | +17.4% |
| 2007 | 1,656 millimeters | -12.6% |
| 2008 | 2,063 millimeters | +24.6% |
| 2009 | 1,699 millimeters | -17.7% |
| 2010 | 2,183 millimeters | +28.5% |
| 2011 | 2,291 millimeters | +4.9% |
| 2012 | 1,713 millimeters | -25.2% |
| 2013 | 1,689 millimeters | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 2,237 millimeters | +32.4% |
| 2015 | 2,199 millimeters | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 1,360 millimeters | -38.1% |
| 2017 | 1,692 millimeters | +24.4% |
| 2018 | 1,937 millimeters | +14.4% |
| 2019 | 1,689 millimeters | -12.8% |
| 2020 | 1,550 millimeters | -8.2% |
| 2021 | 1,973 millimeters | +27.3% |
| 2022 | 1,823 millimeters | -7.6% |
| 2023 | 2,325 millimeters | +27.5% |
| 2024 | 1,980 millimeters | -14.8% |
| 2025 | 2,057 millimeters | +3.9% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 2,057 millimeters is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1,018 millimeters, 2.0× the median. (50 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 2,057 millimeters is below the median for South Asia, which is 2,081 millimeters, 99% of the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 1,640 millimeters | 1,127 millimeters | 1,883 millimeters | 10 |
| 1950s | 1,459 millimeters | 860.87 millimeters | 1,957 millimeters | 10 |
| 1960s | 1,816 millimeters | 1,529 millimeters | 2,189 millimeters | 10 |
| 1970s | 1,575 millimeters | 1,170 millimeters | 1,789 millimeters | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,533 millimeters | 1,248 millimeters | 2,058 millimeters | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,615 millimeters | 1,349 millimeters | 1,844 millimeters | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,728 millimeters | 1,549 millimeters | 2,063 millimeters | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,899 millimeters | 1,360 millimeters | 2,291 millimeters | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,952 millimeters | 1,550 millimeters | 2,325 millimeters | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More climate change data for Sri Lanka
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 327.09 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 3,418 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 618.46 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,800 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 2.33 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 100 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,168 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,071 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,097 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 7.82 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual precipitation in Sri Lanka?
- Annual precipitation in Sri Lanka was 2,057 millimeters in 2025, according to Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual precipitation recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 2,325 millimeters in 2023.
- What is the lowest annual precipitation recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 860.87 millimeters in 1950.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for annual precipitation?
- Sri Lanka ranks 28th out of 192 countries with data for 2025.
- Is annual precipitation rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual precipitation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 86 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total annual precipitation—rain and snow—calculated as the sum of daily averages, reported as the depth of water falling to Earth's surface, excluding fog and dew.