Sri Lanka and Bhutan
Sri Lanka and Bhutan have maintained diplomatic relations since 1987 and an agenda focused on education, health and Buddhist cultural ties. The second political consultations, held in May 2025, expanded dialogue to connectivity and climate.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-08 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-08History and institutional framework
Aruni Ranaraja and Pema Choden co-chaired the Thimphu consultations on 27 May 2025; the first round had taken place in Colombo in November 2015.
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, goods trade between Sri Lanka and Bhutan totalled 2.9 million current USD.
Cooperation and bilateral issues
Ranaraja also met Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and health, education and civil service officials.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 2.94 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Goods: Sri Lanka to Bhutan | 2.94 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Goods: Bhutan to Sri Lanka | 0.0000118 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Sri Lanka to Bhutan | 0.0225 % | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Export share: Bhutan to Sri Lanka | ||
| Investment stock: Sri Lanka in Bhutan | ||
| Investment stock: Bhutan in Sri Lanka |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade; reporters JOR, JPN, KGZ, LBR, LKA, LVA, MDG, MDV, MHL, MNE · Goods; full calendar year; reporter LKA. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Goods: Sri Lanka to Bhutan
- 2025 · UN Comtrade; reporters JOR, JPN, KGZ, LBR, LKA, LVA, MDG, MDV, MHL, MNE · Goods; full calendar year; reporter LKA. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Goods: Bhutan to Sri Lanka
- 2025 · UN Comtrade; reporters JOR, JPN, KGZ, LBR, LKA, LVA, MDG, MDV, MHL, MNE · Goods; full calendar year; reporter LKA. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Export share: Sri Lanka to Bhutan
- 2025 · UN Comtrade; reporters JOR, JPN, KGZ, LBR, LKA, LVA, MDG, MDV, MHL, MNE · Exports to the partner / worldwide exports by the same reporter; same year and coverage.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | Sri Lanka | Bhutan |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 108.83 billion USD2025 · WB | 3.58 billion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 5,002.08 USD2025 · WB | 4,492.78 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 4.95 %2025 · WB | 8.01 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | ||
| Inflation · annual average | -4.76 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 3.56 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | ||
| Unemployment | 4.01 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 3.23 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -2.7 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 103.6 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 1.21 %2024 · WB | -19.4 %2024 · WB |
| Population | 21,756,0002025 · WB | 796,6822025 · WB |
| Area | 65,610 km²2023 · WB | 38,390 km²2023 · WB |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDSri Lanka: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Bhutan: 2025 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personSri Lanka: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Bhutan: 2025 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Sri Lanka: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Bhutan: 2025 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Sri Lanka: 2025 · Annual average CPI change (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Bhutan: 2025 · Annual average CPI change (%) · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency stated
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionSri Lanka: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Bhutan: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)Bhutan: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)Bhutan: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPSri Lanka: 2024 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Bhutan: 2024 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- Population
- PeopleSri Lanka: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date. Preliminary.Bhutan: 2025 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceSri Lanka: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Bhutan: 2023 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
Sri Lanka to Bhutan
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
Bhutan to Sri Lanka
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
Connections between people
They reviewed education, human resources, trade, tourism, investment and multilateral cooperation. Ranaraja also met Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and health, education and civil service officials. As a concrete cultural connection, during Tobgay's April 2015 visit Sri Lanka handed over a sapling from the sacred Sri Maha Bodhiya tree requested by Bhutan. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Sri Lanka living in Bhutan | ||
| Residents from Bhutan living in Sri Lanka | ||
| Study and training: Sri Lanka in Bhutan | ||
| Study and training: Bhutan in Sri Lanka | ||
| Academic stays: Sri Lanka in Bhutan | ||
| Academic stays: Bhutan in Sri Lanka | ||
| Travel: Sri Lanka to Bhutan | ||
| Travel: Bhutan to Sri Lanka |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
History and institutional framework
Aruni Ranaraja and Pema Choden co-chaired the Thimphu consultations on 27 May 2025; the first round had taken place in Colombo in November 2015. They reviewed education, human resources, trade, tourism, investment and multilateral cooperation. [1]
The scale of both economies
Nominal GDP for Sri Lanka is 108.8 billion USD (2025), compared with 3.6 for Bhutan (2025). The reference populations are 21.76 and 0.797 million, respectively. In the same year, the economy of Sri Lanka was 30.4 times that of Bhutan in nominal GDP. The comparison provides context on market size, but does not, on its own, measure influence, well-being or diplomatic closeness. Estimates and their sources retain their labels in the tables. [3] [4] [5] [6]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Review: 2026-10-08
Cooperation and bilateral issues
Ranaraja also met Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and health, education and civil service officials. The note recalls Tobgay's meeting with Harini Amarasuriya during the BIMSTEC summit in April 2025. As a concrete cultural connection, during Tobgay's April 2015 visit Sri Lanka handed over a sapling from the sacred Sri Maha Bodhiya tree requested by Bhutan. [1]
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, merchandise trade between the two countries (Sri Lanka and Bhutan) totalled 2.9 million current USD. Shipments from the first to the second were 2.9 million; those in the opposite direction, 0.0000118 million. The difference between the two flows was 2.9 million, in favour of Sri Lanka. This is a goods balance, not the total balance of the economic relationship: it excludes services, income and transfers. Both directions come from a single customs reporter to avoid adding mirror records. [2]
The partner's share of exports
Sales from Sri Lanka to the partner represented 0.0225% of its worldwide goods exports in 2025. The share compares the same reporter, year and coverage. It measures export concentration, not the percentage of GDP dependent on this relationship. A partner may be important in a specific sector even if its share of total goods trade is small. [2]
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Institutional sources and periods accompany each figure. Annual trade, investment positions, residents and visits are distinct measures. Empty cells do not mean zero. Statements of intent are not presented as project implementation or treaties in force.
- Bilateral relations — LKA-BTN
www.mfa.gov.lk · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record
UN Comtrade; reporters JOR, JPN, KGZ, LBR, LKA, LVA, MDG, MDV, MHL, MNE · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official series — gdp
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- SP.POP.TOTL; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official series — population
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07