Energy intensity in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Energy intensity was 0.3161 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 2022. ▼ Falling
Latest (2022)
0.3161 kilowatt-hours per dollar
Change on year
down 8.1%
World rank
162nd
of 166 countries
All-time high
0.6454 kilowatt-hours per dollar
in 1973
All-time low
0.3025 kilowatt-hours per dollar
in 2013
Years of data
58
1965–2022
Energy intensity in Sri Lanka, 1965–2022
Source: Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilowatt-hours per dollar.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 0.3161 kilowatt-hours per dollar for energy intensity in 2022.
The figure is down 8.1% on the previous year and down 6.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, energy intensity in Sri Lanka peaked at 0.6454 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 1973 and was at its lowest, 0.3025 kilowatt-hours per dollar, in 2013.
Sri Lanka ranks 162nd of 166 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 58 years of available data.
Energy intensity in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | kilowatt-hours per dollar | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 0.4084 kilowatt-hours per dollar | — |
| 1966 | 0.4236 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +3.7% |
| 1967 | 0.3978 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -6.1% |
| 1968 | 0.3812 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -4.2% |
| 1969 | 0.3771 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.1% |
| 1970 | 0.6075 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +61.1% |
| 1971 | 0.6196 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +2.0% |
| 1972 | 0.6375 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +2.9% |
| 1973 | 0.6454 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.2% |
| 1974 | 0.5126 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -20.6% |
| 1975 | 0.5209 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.6% |
| 1976 | 0.4946 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -5.0% |
| 1977 | 0.4975 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.6% |
| 1978 | 0.4864 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.2% |
| 1979 | 0.4789 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.5% |
| 1980 | 0.4581 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -4.4% |
| 1981 | 0.4516 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.4% |
| 1982 | 0.4663 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +3.3% |
| 1983 | 0.4515 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -3.2% |
| 1984 | 0.4273 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -5.4% |
| 1985 | 0.3725 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -12.8% |
| 1986 | 0.3692 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 0.3937 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +6.6% |
| 1988 | 0.3653 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -7.2% |
| 1989 | 0.3381 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -7.4% |
| 1990 | 0.3537 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +4.6% |
| 1991 | 0.3215 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -9.1% |
| 1992 | 0.3695 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +14.9% |
| 1993 | 0.36 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.6% |
| 1994 | 0.3631 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 0.3672 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 0.3763 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 0.3521 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -6.4% |
| 1998 | 0.3796 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +7.8% |
| 1999 | 0.4004 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +5.5% |
| 2000 | 0.4127 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 0.4124 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 0.421 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 0.4027 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -4.3% |
| 2004 | 0.3769 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -6.4% |
| 2005 | 0.4117 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +9.2% |
| 2006 | 0.3999 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.9% |
| 2007 | 0.3913 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 0.3451 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -11.8% |
| 2009 | 0.3428 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 0.3293 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -3.9% |
| 2011 | 0.3445 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +4.6% |
| 2012 | 0.3387 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 0.3025 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -10.7% |
| 2014 | 0.3301 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +9.1% |
| 2015 | 0.3287 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 0.3616 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +10.0% |
| 2017 | 0.3616 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.3585 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 0.3701 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +3.2% |
| 2020 | 0.344 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -7.0% |
| 2021 | 0.3441 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.3161 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -8.1% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 0.3161 kilowatt-hours per dollar is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.11 kilowatt-hours per dollar, 29% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Energy intensity in Sri Lanka changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | +61.1% | 0.3771 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 0.6075 kilowatt-hours per dollar |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.3976 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 0.3771 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 0.4236 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 5 |
| 1970s | 0.5501 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 0.4789 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 0.6454 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.4094 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 0.3381 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 0.4663 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3643 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 0.3215 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 0.4004 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.3916 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 0.3428 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 0.421 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.3426 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 0.3025 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 0.3701 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.3347 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 0.3161 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 0.3441 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 159 Tanzania 0.3804 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 160 Democratic Republic of Congo 0.3517 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 161 Chad 0.3429 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 163 Uganda 0.3076 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 164 Malawi 0.3051 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 165 Ethiopia 0.3025 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
More energy & mining data for Sri Lanka
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 4.83 % change on previous year (2025)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fuel imports 21.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is energy intensity in Sri Lanka?
- Energy intensity in Sri Lanka was 0.3161 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 2022, according to Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest energy intensity recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 0.6454 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 1973.
- What is the lowest energy intensity recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3025 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 2013.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for energy intensity?
- Sri Lanka ranks 162nd out of 166 countries with data for 2022.
- Is energy intensity rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Energy intensity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours of total energy supply per international-$ of GDP.