Cotton yields in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Cotton yields was 2 tonnes per hectare in 1990. ◆ Volatile
Latest (1990)
2 tonnes per hectare
Change on year
up 57.1%
World rank
31st
of 101 countries
All-time high
5.42 tonnes per hectare
in 1982
All-time low
0.5729 tonnes per hectare
in 1968
Years of data
30
1961–1990
Cotton yields in Sri Lanka, 1961–1990
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes per hectare.
Analysis
The most recent figure for cotton yields in Sri Lanka is 2 tonnes per hectare, measured in 1990.
The figure is up 57.1% on the previous year and down 52.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cotton yields in Sri Lanka peaked at 5.42 tonnes per hectare in 1982 and was at its lowest, 0.5729 tonnes per hectare, in 1968.
That places Sri Lanka 31st out of 101 countries with data for 1990, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Cotton yields in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | tonnes per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.9881 tonnes per hectare | — |
| 1962 | 1.01 tonnes per hectare | +2.1% |
| 1963 | 1.05 tonnes per hectare | +4.6% |
| 1964 | 1.11 tonnes per hectare | +5.2% |
| 1965 | 0.85 tonnes per hectare | -23.4% |
| 1966 | 1.89 tonnes per hectare | +122.4% |
| 1967 | 0.8076 tonnes per hectare | -57.3% |
| 1968 | 0.5729 tonnes per hectare | -29.1% |
| 1969 | 1.68 tonnes per hectare | +192.9% |
| 1970 | 1.05 tonnes per hectare | -37.6% |
| 1971 | 1.13 tonnes per hectare | +8.3% |
| 1972 | 3.08 tonnes per hectare | +171.4% |
| 1973 | 2.18 tonnes per hectare | -29.2% |
| 1974 | 3.11 tonnes per hectare | +42.8% |
| 1975 | 3.6 tonnes per hectare | +15.8% |
| 1976 | 4.01 tonnes per hectare | +11.4% |
| 1977 | 3.13 tonnes per hectare | -21.9% |
| 1978 | 2.96 tonnes per hectare | -5.7% |
| 1979 | 3.34 tonnes per hectare | +13.1% |
| 1980 | 4.21 tonnes per hectare | +25.9% |
| 1981 | 5.28 tonnes per hectare | +25.3% |
| 1982 | 5.42 tonnes per hectare | +2.8% |
| 1983 | 2.78 tonnes per hectare | -48.8% |
| 1984 | 0.6228 tonnes per hectare | -77.6% |
| 1985 | 1 tonnes per hectare | +60.6% |
| 1986 | 1 tonnes per hectare | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 1 tonnes per hectare | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 1 tonnes per hectare | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 1.27 tonnes per hectare | +27.3% |
| 1990 | 2 tonnes per hectare | +57.1% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 2 tonnes per hectare is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.89 tonnes per hectare, 1.1× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.11 tonnes per hectare | 0.5729 tonnes per hectare | 1.89 tonnes per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.76 tonnes per hectare | 1.05 tonnes per hectare | 4.01 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.36 tonnes per hectare | 0.6228 tonnes per hectare | 5.42 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 2 tonnes per hectare | 2 tonnes per hectare | 2 tonnes per hectare | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More agriculture & rural data for Sri Lanka
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 9.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0836 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 418.3 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9172 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.7955 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 8.4% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 8.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cotton yields in Sri Lanka?
- Cotton yields in Sri Lanka was 2 tonnes per hectare in 1990, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest cotton yields recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 5.42 tonnes per hectare in 1982.
- What is the lowest cotton yields recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5729 tonnes per hectare in 1968.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for cotton yields?
- Sri Lanka ranks 31st out of 101 countries with data for 1990.
- Is cotton yields rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 52.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Cotton yields. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 30 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Yield is the amount produced per unit of land used, measured in tonnes per hectare.