Annual precipitation in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Annual precipitation was 2,057 millimeters in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
2,057 millimeters
Change on year
up 3.9%
World rank
28th
of 192 countries
All-time high
2,325 millimeters
in 2023
All-time low
860.87 millimeters
in 1950
Years of data
86
1940–2025

Annual precipitation in Sri Lanka, 1940–2025

05001.0k1.5k2.0k2.5k194019822025

Source: Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in millimeters.

Analysis

In 2025, annual precipitation in Sri Lanka stood at 2,057 millimeters.

The figure is up 3.9% on the previous year and down 6.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual precipitation in Sri Lanka peaked at 2,325 millimeters in 2023 and was at its lowest, 860.87 millimeters, in 1950.

Sri Lanka ranks 28th of 192 countries on this measure, 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 1,640 millimeters 1,127 millimeters 1,883 millimeters 10
1950s 1,459 millimeters 860.87 millimeters 1,957 millimeters 10
1960s 1,816 millimeters 1,529 millimeters 2,189 millimeters 10
1970s 1,575 millimeters 1,170 millimeters 1,789 millimeters 10
1980s 1,533 millimeters 1,248 millimeters 2,058 millimeters 10
1990s 1,615 millimeters 1,349 millimeters 1,844 millimeters 10
2000s 1,728 millimeters 1,549 millimeters 2,063 millimeters 10
2010s 1,899 millimeters 1,360 millimeters 2,291 millimeters 10
2020s 1,952 millimeters 1,550 millimeters 2,325 millimeters 6

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 25 Nepal 2,131 millimeters compare
  2. 26 Laos 2,108 millimeters compare
  3. 27 Bangladesh 2,081 millimeters compare
  4. 29 East Timor 1,984 millimeters compare
  5. 30 Nicaragua 1,915 millimeters compare
  6. 31 Cambodia 1,898 millimeters compare

See the full ranking of 192 places →

More reference data data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual precipitation in Sri Lanka?
Annual precipitation in Sri Lanka was 2,057 millimeters in 2025, according to Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest annual precipitation recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 2,325 millimeters in 2023.
What is the lowest annual precipitation recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 860.87 millimeters in 1950.
How does Sri Lanka rank for annual precipitation?
Sri Lanka ranks 28th out of 192 countries with data for 2025.
Is annual precipitation rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.4%. 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 Annual precipitation. 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
Annual precipitation
Unit
millimeters
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
192 places, 16,512 data points, 1940–2025
Last refreshed

Total annual precipitation—rain and snow—calculated as the sum of daily averages, reported as the depth of water falling to Earth's surface, excluding fog and dew.