Sri Lanka has not made the transition to high-tech exports

October 23, 2025

Sri Lanka has not made the transition to high-tech exports

High-tech exports are less than 2% of Sri Lanka’s manufactured exports, and do not show signs of improvement. High-tech exports in countries like Viet Nam, Singapore and Malaysia account for 40-60% of their manufactured exports, in stark contrast to Sri Lanka.

High-tech exports are products with high R&D intensity, such as in aerospace, computers, pharmaceuticals, scientific instruments, and electrical machinery. High-tech exports are important because they drive economic growth through increased productivity and innovation, making the country’s exports more competitive.

Viet Nam, which opened its economy 10 years after Sri Lanka first did, has rapidly expanded its high-tech exports base from just 8.8% of manufactured exports in 2008 to 43% 15 years later. Cambodia’s ascent in high-tech exports began more recently; from 1.2% in 2019 to 13% 5 years later.

Data sources: World Development Indicators, World Bank accessed 19.10.2025

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