Asia Regional Integration Center

GDP contracted by 3.6% in 2020. The economy contracted 1.8% in the first quarter of 2020, largely before the pandemic, falling sharply by 16.4% during the second quarter general lockdown. By early June, successful containment allowed much of the economy to reopen, leading to 1.3% growth in the third quarter. The unemployment rate rose from 4.8% in 2019 to 5.5% in 2020. Industry contracted most, falling by 6.9%, with construction down by 13.2% and manufacturing by 3.9%. Services fell by 1.5%, with transportation down by 6.7% and accommodation and restaurants plummeting by 39.4%. This was mitigated in part by a 15.4% growth in telecommunications, 10.9% in finance, and 1.4% in wholesale and retail trade. Average annual inflation, as measured by the Colombo consumer price index, rose from 4.3% in 2019 to 4.6% in 2020.