Tobacco production in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Tobacco production was 8,514 tonnes in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
8,514 tonnes
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
42nd
of 146 countries
All-time high
18,602 tonnes
in 1980
All-time low
2,700 tonnes
in 1962
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Tobacco production in Sri Lanka, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 8,514 tonnes for tobacco production in 2024.
The figure is down 1.3% on the previous year and up 156.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tobacco production in Sri Lanka peaked at 18,602 tonnes in 1980 and was at its lowest, 2,700 tonnes, in 1962.
That places Sri Lanka 42nd out of 146 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 64 years of available data.
Tobacco production in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2,966 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 2,700 tonnes | -9.0% |
| 1963 | 3,500 tonnes | +29.6% |
| 1964 | 4,300 tonnes | +22.9% |
| 1965 | 4,600 tonnes | +7.0% |
| 1966 | 5,216 tonnes | +13.4% |
| 1967 | 6,804 tonnes | +30.4% |
| 1968 | 7,607 tonnes | +11.8% |
| 1969 | 8,100 tonnes | +6.5% |
| 1970 | 8,600 tonnes | +6.2% |
| 1971 | 9,000 tonnes | +4.7% |
| 1972 | 9,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 9,200 tonnes | +2.2% |
| 1974 | 9,200 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 5,633 tonnes | -38.8% |
| 1976 | 6,579 tonnes | +16.8% |
| 1977 | 6,500 tonnes | -1.2% |
| 1978 | 7,500 tonnes | +15.4% |
| 1979 | 11,000 tonnes | +46.7% |
| 1980 | 18,602 tonnes | +69.1% |
| 1981 | 15,200 tonnes | -18.3% |
| 1982 | 16,670 tonnes | +9.7% |
| 1983 | 14,500 tonnes | -13.0% |
| 1984 | 15,300 tonnes | +5.5% |
| 1985 | 15,300 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 15,086 tonnes | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 11,989 tonnes | -20.5% |
| 1988 | 12,880 tonnes | +7.4% |
| 1989 | 11,000 tonnes | -14.6% |
| 1990 | 10,335 tonnes | -6.0% |
| 1991 | 9,120 tonnes | -11.8% |
| 1992 | 9,252 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 11,696 tonnes | +26.4% |
| 1994 | 12,241 tonnes | +4.7% |
| 1995 | 11,383 tonnes | -7.0% |
| 1996 | 10,720 tonnes | -5.8% |
| 1997 | 9,990 tonnes | -6.8% |
| 1998 | 9,044 tonnes | -9.5% |
| 1999 | 6,010 tonnes | -33.5% |
| 2000 | 5,400 tonnes | -10.1% |
| 2001 | 4,520 tonnes | -16.3% |
| 2002 | 3,820 tonnes | -15.5% |
| 2003 | 3,810 tonnes | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 4,390 tonnes | +15.2% |
| 2005 | 4,210 tonnes | -4.1% |
| 2006 | 3,710 tonnes | -11.9% |
| 2007 | 4,150 tonnes | +11.9% |
| 2008 | 3,770 tonnes | -9.2% |
| 2009 | 3,810 tonnes | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 4,200 tonnes | +10.2% |
| 2011 | 3,470 tonnes | -17.4% |
| 2012 | 3,620 tonnes | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 5,040 tonnes | +39.2% |
| 2014 | 3,322 tonnes | -34.1% |
| 2015 | 4,733 tonnes | +42.5% |
| 2016 | 7,024 tonnes | +48.4% |
| 2017 | 7,105 tonnes | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 5,903 tonnes | -16.9% |
| 2019 | 9,480 tonnes | +60.6% |
| 2020 | 9,224 tonnes | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 10,285 tonnes | +11.5% |
| 2022 | 6,612 tonnes | -35.7% |
| 2023 | 8,623 tonnes | +30.4% |
| 2024 | 8,514 tonnes | -1.3% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 8,514 tonnes is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3,319 tonnes, 2.6× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 8,514 tonnes is above the median for South Asia, which is 8,514 tonnes, 1.0× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5,088 tonnes | 2,700 tonnes | 8,100 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 8,221 tonnes | 5,633 tonnes | 11,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 14,653 tonnes | 11,000 tonnes | 18,602 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 9,979 tonnes | 6,010 tonnes | 12,241 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 4,159 tonnes | 3,710 tonnes | 5,400 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 5,390 tonnes | 3,322 tonnes | 9,480 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 8,652 tonnes | 6,612 tonnes | 10,285 tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
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 tobacco production in Sri Lanka?
- Tobacco production in Sri Lanka was 8,514 tonnes in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest tobacco production recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 18,602 tonnes in 1980.
- What is the lowest tobacco production recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,700 tonnes in 1962.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for tobacco production?
- Sri Lanka ranks 42nd out of 146 countries with data for 2024.
- Is tobacco production rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 156.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Tobacco production. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Tobacco production is measured in tonnes.