FinObservatory

Crisis atlas / LKA

Sri Lanka

25 distinct crisis events in 9 episodes, 1920–2025, from the union of five primary chronologies.

Debt profile: government debt trajectory and crisis-start levels →

8
Banking crises
11
Currency crises
6
Sovereign debt crises
25
Crisis events
1920–2025
Span

Crisis timeline

Every distinct (year, type) event, most recent first, with the chronologies flagging it. Start-year sources (GMD, JST) do not mark continuation years, so long episodes show lower agreement after their first year.

  1. 2025
    Bankinglaeven_valencia1 source
  2. 2024
    Bankinglaeven_valencia1 source
  3. 2023
    Bankinglaeven_valencia1 source
  4. 2014
    Sovereign debtrr1 source
  5. 2012
    Currencygmd, laeven_valencia2 sources
  6. 1996
    Sovereign debtrr1 source
  7. 1993
    Bankingrr1 source
  8. 1992
    Bankingrr1 source
  9. 1991
    Bankinglaeven_valencia, rr2 sources
  10. 1990
    Bankinglaeven_valencia, rr2 sources
  11. 1989
    Currencyrr1 source
    Bankinggmd, laeven_valencia, rr3 sources
  12. 1983
    Sovereign debtrr1 source
    Currencyrr1 source
  13. 1982
    Sovereign debtrr1 source
  14. 1981
    Sovereign debtrr1 source
  15. 1980
    Currencyrr1 source
  16. 1979
    Sovereign debtrr1 source
  17. 1978
    Currencygmd, laeven_valencia2 sources
  18. 1977
    Currencyrr1 source
  19. 1968
    Currencygmd, rr2 sources
  20. 1956
    Currencygmd, rr2 sources
  21. 1939
    Currencygmd, rr2 sources
  22. 1931
    Currencygmd, rr2 sources
  23. 1920
    Currencygmd, rr2 sources

Source: Global Macro Database 2026_06 (Müller, Xu, Lehbib & Chen 2025) | Jordà-Schularick-Taylor Macrohistory R6 | Laeven & Valencia (2020) | Reinhart-Rogoff via HBS BFFS | ECB/ESRB Financial Crises Database Methodology

Macro context around each episode

Inflation, central-bank policy rate, and government debt in a window of five years either side of each crisis episode (consecutive crisis years bridged across gaps of up to two years). Crisis years shaded.

1920

Currency

No macro panel coverage for this window.

1931

Currency

No macro panel coverage for this window.

1939

Currency
Inflation (% y/y)
02040193419391944
Policy rate (%)
No data for this window
Govt debt (% of GDP)
No data for this window

1956

Currency
Inflation (% y/y)
-20246195119561961
Policy rate (%)
024195119561961
Govt debt (% of GDP)
02040195119561961

1968

Currency
Inflation (% y/y)
-50510196319681973
Policy rate (%)
02.557.5196319681973
Govt debt (% of GDP)
0204060196319681973

1977–1983

CurrencySovereign debt
Inflation (% y/y)
0102030197219771988
Policy rate (%)
02.557.5197219771988
Govt debt (% of GDP)
050100197219771988

1989–1996

BankingCurrencySovereign debtFiscal cost 5.0% of GDP, output loss 19.6% of GDP (Laeven-Valencia 2026)
Inflation (% y/y)
0102030198419892001
Policy rate (%)
01020198419892001
Govt debt (% of GDP)
050100198419892001

2012–2014

CurrencySovereign debt
Inflation (% y/y)
01020200720122019
Policy rate (%)
051015200720122019
Govt debt (% of GDP)
050100200720122019

2023–2025

BankingFiscal cost 1.4% of GDP, output loss 5.9% of GDP (Laeven-Valencia 2026)
Inflation (% y/y)
-200204060201820232025
Policy rate (%)
051015201820232025
Govt debt (% of GDP)
050100150201820232025

Source: Global Macro Database 2026_06 (Müller, Xu, Lehbib & Chen 2025) Inflation is % year over year; policy rate is the central-bank rate in %; government debt is % of GDP. Methodology