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

0102030194019822025

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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 22 Somalia 27.11 °C compare
  2. 23 El Salvador 27.06 °C compare
  3. 24 American Samoa 26.94 °C compare
  4. 26 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 26.89 °C compare
  5. 27 United States Virgin Islands 26.87 °C compare
  6. 28 Brunei 26.85 °C compare

See the full ranking of 193 places →

More reference data data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

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

Indicator
Average annual surface temperature
Unit
°C
Source
Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
193 places, 16,598 data points, 1940–2025
Last refreshed

The temperature of the air measured 2 meters above the ground, encompassing land, sea, and in-land water surfaces.