Sri Lanka
June 2024
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Estimated Australian ODA: 2024-25: $23.9m
Gross National Income Per Capita: USD3,610 (2022)
Population: 22.2 mil (2022)
| Australian ODA | 2022-23 Estimated Outcome ($m)* | 2023-24 Budget Estimate ($m)* | 2024-25 Budget Estimate ($m)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Country Programs | 23.0 | 16.1 | 16.0 |
| Regional | 2.5 | 5.0 | 4.3 |
| Global | 26.9 | 2.4 | 3.0 |
| Other Government Departments | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Total ODA to Sri Lanka | 54.1 | 24.1 | 23.9 |
*Due to rounding, discrepancies may occur between sums of the component items in totals.
Australia is a long-standing, trusted development cooperation partner for Sri Lanka and continues to support Sri Lanka as it emerges from its worst economic crisis in 70 years.
Over the past decade, Australia’s support has focused on facilitating macroeconomic and governance reforms as well as strengthening civil society and building the skills of the Sri Lankan workforce. In 2022, Australia also provided a surge in humanitarian funding (A$75 million total in 2022) to meet immediate needs in response to the economic crisis.
Strategic direction
Australia’s development cooperation program in Sri Lanka aims to:
- Support more effective, accountable and inclusive governance and economic processes.
- Enhance community and institutional resilience to internal and external challenges.
- Improve livelihoods, including through employment opportunities for disadvantaged Sri Lankans.
- Build a resilient civil society by strengthening the capacity of civil society organisations.
Program highlights
Australia’s partnership with the World Bank has supported the government to undertake macro critical economic reforms in line with the government-led IMF governance reform agenda.
Australian support to Sri Lanka’s electoral commission is enabling them to deliver electoral services with integrity.
Australia is supporting women in politics and empowering citizens to effectively engage in democratic processes.
Australian support is aligning national plans and resource allocations to the needs of diverse Sri Lankan communities, including women and the marginalised.
Australia supports sustainable growth in Sri Lanka’s coffee sector through the Market Development Facility. To date MDF’s work has benefitted over 1,200 female and male smallholder coffee farmers.
Australia Awards provides the education opportunities most valued by Sri Lanka’s public and private sector. A total of 24 Sri Lankans were awarded long-term Australia Awards Scholarships in 2024.
