Wage Payments into Accounts Statistics in Sri Lanka (2026)

According to World Bank Global Findex data, 16.3% of adults in Sri Lanka received wage payments into an account in 2024. Down from 18.8% in 2021 to 16.3% in 2024 (−2.5 percentage points). Sri Lanka ranks #1 of 4 economies in South Asia on this measure, and #89 of 140 globally.

Key Statistics

Latest value (2024): 16.3% (2024); Wage Payments into Accounts in Sri Lanka as of 2024, the most recent observation in World Bank Global Findex data.
Change since 2021: −2.5 pp (2024); Down from 18.8% in 2021 to 16.3% in 2024 (−2.5 percentage points).
Earliest value in this dataset (2014): 7.1% (2014); Earliest observation in this dataset, which covers 1990 onward (the source series may begin earlier). Up from 7.1% in 2014 to 16.3% in 2024.
Peak value (2021): 18.8% (2021); Highest value in the available series; the 2024 value is 16.3%.
Rank in South Asia: #1 of 4 (2024); Sri Lanka ranks 1 of 4 countries in South Asia with data, based on each country's latest value.
Global rank: #89 of 140 (2024); Sri Lanka ranks 89 of 140 countries with data globally.
South Asia average: 10% (2024); Sri Lanka (16.3%) is above the average of 10% across the 4 countries in South Asia with data.
Among women (2024): 11.4% (2024); Value for women in Sri Lanka, same 2024 World Bank Global Findex data.
Among men (2024): 21.8% (2024); Value for men in Sri Lanka, same 2024 World Bank Global Findex data.
Gender gap (women minus men): −10.4 pp (2024); In 2024, the figure was 11.4% for women and 21.8% for men — 10.4 percentage points lower among women.
Internet use in Sri Lanka (2024): 54.6% (2024); 54.6% of the population in Sri Lanka used the internet in 2024 (World Bank); shown for context only.
Population (2024): 21.9 million (2024); Sri Lanka had a population of 21.9 million in 2024 (World Bank); shown for scale only.

Trend, 2014–2024

Wage Payments into Accounts in Sri Lanka by year (% of adults (age 15+))
Year	% of adults (age 15+)	Change
2024	16.3%	−2.5 pp
2021	18.8%	+9.8 pp
2017	8.9%	+1.8 pp
2014	7.1%	—

Fig. 1 — Wage Payments into Accounts in Sri Lanka, 2014–2024

Frequently asked questions

What share of adults in Sri Lanka received wage payments into an account?

16.3% of adults in Sri Lanka received wage payments into an account in 2024, according to World Bank Global Findex data.

Is there a gender gap in wage payments into accounts in Sri Lanka?

Yes — in 2024 the figure was 11.4% for women and 21.8% for men, a gap of 10.4 percentage points in favor of men.

When did wage payments into accounts in Sri Lanka peak?

The highest value in the available series was 18.8% in 2021; the latest (2024) value is 16.3%.

How recent is the wage payments into accounts data for Sri Lanka?

The most recent observation is from 2024. World Bank Global Findex data is reported with a lag, so 2024 is the latest available year for Sri Lanka.

Where does the wage payments into accounts data for Sri Lanka come from?

The data comes from the World Bank Global Findex (indicator fin32.acc). The latest observation for Sri Lanka is from 2024; the snapshot was retrieved on 2026-06-10.

Source & methodology

Source: World Bank Global Findex, indicator fin32.acc, retrieved 2026-06-10.

Figures are shown exactly as published in the source dataset; only the change column of the trend table is computed from adjacent published values.Read more on the methodology page. All figures are estimates and projections; this is not financial advice.

Last updated 2026-06-10.