Average annual surface temperature in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Average annual surface temperature was 26.93 °C in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
26.93 °C
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
25th
of 193 countries
All-time high
27.27 °C
in 2024
All-time low
24.98 °C
in 1942
Years of data
86
1940–2025
Average annual surface temperature in Sri Lanka, 1940–2025
Source: Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in °C.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 26.93 °C for average annual surface temperature in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual surface temperature in Sri Lanka peaked at 27.27 °C in 2024 and was at its lowest, 24.98 °C, in 1942.
That places Sri Lanka 25th out of 193 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 86 years of available data.
Average annual surface temperature in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | °C | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 25.29 °C | — |
| 1941 | 25.59 °C | +1.2% |
| 1942 | 24.98 °C | -2.4% |
| 1943 | 25.07 °C | +0.4% |
| 1944 | 25.39 °C | +1.3% |
| 1945 | 25.62 °C | +0.9% |
| 1946 | 25.64 °C | +0.1% |
| 1947 | 25.56 °C | -0.3% |
| 1948 | 25.79 °C | +0.9% |
| 1949 | 25.76 °C | -0.1% |
| 1950 | 26.16 °C | +1.6% |
| 1951 | 26.13 °C | -0.1% |
| 1952 | 26.45 °C | +1.2% |
| 1953 | 26.36 °C | -0.3% |
| 1954 | 25.41 °C | -3.6% |
| 1955 | 25.2 °C | -0.8% |
| 1956 | 25.39 °C | +0.8% |
| 1957 | 25.9 °C | +2.0% |
| 1958 | 25.97 °C | +0.3% |
| 1959 | 26.15 °C | +0.7% |
| 1960 | 25.67 °C | -1.8% |
| 1961 | 25.64 °C | -0.1% |
| 1962 | 25.69 °C | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 25.7 °C | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 25.76 °C | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 25.53 °C | -0.9% |
| 1966 | 25.92 °C | +1.5% |
| 1967 | 25.72 °C | -0.8% |
| 1968 | 25.78 °C | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 26.2 °C | +1.6% |
| 1970 | 26.04 °C | -0.6% |
| 1971 | 25.79 °C | -1.0% |
| 1972 | 26.23 °C | +1.7% |
| 1973 | 26.45 °C | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 26.01 °C | -1.6% |
| 1975 | 25.9 °C | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 26.23 °C | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 26.09 °C | -0.5% |
| 1978 | 26.16 °C | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 26.69 °C | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 26.61 °C | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 26.27 °C | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 26.46 °C | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 26.96 °C | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 25.96 °C | -3.7% |
| 1985 | 26.24 °C | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 26.43 °C | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 26.71 °C | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 26.47 °C | -0.9% |
| 1989 | 26.24 °C | -0.9% |
| 1990 | 26.59 °C | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 26.56 °C | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 26.32 °C | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 26.4 °C | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 26.2 °C | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 26.49 °C | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 26.32 °C | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 26.59 °C | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 27.13 °C | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 26.15 °C | -3.6% |
| 2000 | 26.12 °C | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 26.48 °C | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 26.55 °C | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 26.59 °C | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 26.56 °C | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 26.79 °C | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 26.55 °C | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 26.47 °C | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 26.39 °C | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 26.75 °C | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 26.7 °C | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 26.48 °C | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 26.71 °C | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 26.55 °C | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 26.6 °C | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 26.66 °C | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 27.21 °C | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 26.74 °C | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 26.36 °C | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 26.9 °C | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 26.99 °C | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 26.6 °C | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 26.44 °C | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 26.88 °C | +1.6% |
| 2024 | 27.27 °C | +1.5% |
| 2025 | 26.93 °C | -1.2% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 26.93 °C is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 23.03 °C, 1.2× the median. (50 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 26.93 °C is above the median for South Asia, which is 24.23 °C, 1.1× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 25.47 °C | 24.98 °C | 25.79 °C | 10 |
| 1950s | 25.91 °C | 25.2 °C | 26.45 °C | 10 |
| 1960s | 25.76 °C | 25.53 °C | 26.2 °C | 10 |
| 1970s | 26.16 °C | 25.79 °C | 26.69 °C | 10 |
| 1980s | 26.44 °C | 25.96 °C | 26.96 °C | 10 |
| 1990s | 26.48 °C | 26.15 °C | 27.13 °C | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.53 °C | 26.12 °C | 26.79 °C | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.69 °C | 26.36 °C | 27.21 °C | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.85 °C | 26.44 °C | 27.27 °C | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 22 Somalia 27.11 °C compare
- 23 El Salvador 27.06 °C compare
- 24 American Samoa 26.94 °C compare
- 26 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 26.89 °C compare
- 27 United States Virgin Islands 26.87 °C compare
- 28 Brunei 26.85 °C compare
More reference data data for Sri Lanka
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1608 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.316 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.33 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1784 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.33 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.539 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.1604 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.15 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.9713 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average annual surface temperature in Sri Lanka?
- Average annual surface temperature in Sri Lanka was 26.93 °C in 2025, according to Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average annual surface temperature recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 27.27 °C in 2024.
- What is the lowest average annual surface temperature recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.98 °C in 1942.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for average annual surface temperature?
- Sri Lanka ranks 25th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is average annual surface temperature rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. 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 Average annual surface temperature. 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
Temperature of the air measured 2 meters above the ground, encompassing land, sea, and in-land water surfaces.