Sri Lanka vs United States: Personal remittances and foreign aid received
Sri Lanka
5.52 billion current US$
in 2021
United States
7.09 billion current US$
in 2021
Sri Lanka rank
30th
United States rank
28th
Personal remittances and foreign aid received over time
- Sri Lanka
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 7.09 billion current US$ against 5.52 billion current US$ in Sri Lanka, a difference of 1.57 billion current US$.
That makes United States's figure about 1.3 times Sri Lanka's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 45 shared years of data; in 1977 it was United States ahead.
Sri Lanka ranks 30th and United States ranks 28th of 193 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Sri Lanka | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 39.19 million current US$ | 216.67 million current US$ | 177.47 million current US$ | United States |
| 1980s | 294.93 million current US$ | 439.70 million current US$ | 144.77 million current US$ | United States |
| 1990s | 739.38 million current US$ | 2.13 billion current US$ | 1.39 billion current US$ | United States |
| 2000s | 1.95 billion current US$ | 4.91 billion current US$ | 2.95 billion current US$ | United States |
| 2010s | 6.40 billion current US$ | 6.47 billion current US$ | 72.02 million current US$ | United States |
| 2020s | 6.33 billion current US$ | 6.96 billion current US$ | 628.87 million current US$ | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher personal remittances and foreign aid received, Sri Lanka or United States?
- United States, at 7.09 billion current US$ against 5.52 billion current US$ in Sri Lanka as of 2021.
- What is the difference in personal remittances and foreign aid received between Sri Lanka and United States?
- 1.57 billion current US$, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Sri Lanka and United States?
- 45 years are reported by both, from 1977 to 2021.
- How do Sri Lanka and United States rank globally for personal remittances and foreign aid received?
- Sri Lanka ranks 30th and United States ranks 28th of 193 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Bank based on International Monetary Fund balance of payments data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Personal remittances and foreign aid received. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Remittances are financial transfers from non-residents to residents of a country, such as a worker abroad sending money to family and friends. Foreign aid is measured as official development assistance. Both are measured in current US$.