Sri Lanka

Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka │ ශ්‍රී ලංකා ප්‍රජාතාන්ත්‍රික සමාජවාදී ජනරජය │ இலங்கை சனநாயக சோசலிசக் குடியரசு

The textile and garment industry is of overall economic importance to Sri Lanka. The industry accounted for nearly 47 per cent of exports in 2019 and provides employment for more than 350,000 workers in the formal sector and about twice that number in the informal sector. This represents about 33 per cent of all manufacturing jobs. The majority of employees are women.

In May 2017, after a seven-year hiatus, the European Union's (EU) Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) status was reactivated for Sri Lanka. Positive impetus is already evident: in 2018, the country increased its total exports of textiles and garments by nearly 4.8 per cent. Many domestic textile producers are switching to producing high-quality garments to maintain their competitiveness, rather than focusing on mass production. Manufacturing is now focusing on fewer product categories, such as underwear or sportswear. The ambitious goal is to increase the export revenues of the apparel industry to US$8 billion by 2025, which requires an annual growth rate of 6 per cent.

Population

Total

22,156,000 (2021)

Gross Domestic Product

GDP per Capita (constant USD, thousand)

4,157 (2021)

Human Development Index Ranking

HDI Rank (out of 191 countries)

73 (2021)

Garment/Textile Workers

Number of workers in the garment/textile sector

350,000 (2022)

Women Workers in the Garment/Textile Industry

Percentage of women workers employed in the garment/textile industry

70% (2022)

Number of Garment/Textile Factories

Number of factories in the garment/textile industry

352 (2022)

Garment/Textile Industry Exports

(USD$ billion)

USD 5.591 billion (2022)

Garment/Textile Industry Size

Percentage of total exports

44% (2022)

Key Garment/Textile Export Markets

Top five countries ($USD value exported and subsequent percentage)

Country Percentage of Exports
United States 39.86%
United Kingdom 13.27%
Italy 7.81%
Germany 5.76%
Belgium 4.16%

Government Entities

Government agencies actively involved in the garment/textile industry

Board of Investment Sri Lanka
Ministry of Labour
Export Development Board of Sri Lanka

Worker Organizations

Trade unions, Union federations, and other worker organizations

Free Trade Zone and General Services Employees Union
Textile, Garment and Clothing Workers Union
Ceylon Mercantile Industrial and General Workers Union
Commercial and Industrial Workers Union

Employer/Industry Associations and Chambers of Commerce

Employers and industry related associations, private sectors associations and chambers of commerce

Employers Federation of Ceylon
Joint Apparel Association Forum of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Apparel Exporters Association (constituent of JAAF)
Ceylon Chamber of Commerce

Development Agencies/ International Organizations

National and international development organizations working within the garment/textile industry

International Finance Corporation (IFC)
GIZ FABRIC

Civil Society Organizations/ Non-governmental Organizations

Organizations working within the garment/textile industry

Da-Bindu Collective

Stand-Up Movement Sri Lanka

Women’s Centre

Revolutionary Existence for Human Development

Solidarity Center

Asia Floor Wage Alliance

Sources of data provided

  1. Population: Population, total | Data (worldbank.org)
  2. GDP Per Capita: GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$) | Data (worldbank.org) 
  3. HDI: Country Insights | Human Development Reports (undp.org) 
  4. Garment / Textile Workers: Joint Apparel Association Forum
  5. Women Workers in the Garment /Textile Industry: Joint Apparel Association Forum
  6. Number of Garment / Textile Factories: Joint Apparel Association Forum
  7. Garment / Textile Industry Export: Joint Apparel Association Forum
  8. Garment / Textile Industry Size: Joint Apparel Association Forum

  9. Key Garment / Textile Export Market Sri Lanka Textiles and Clothing Exports by country & region 2020 | WITS Data (worldbank.org)

    *Textiles and Clothing Exports in 2020 

News on Sri Lanka


Source Fashion 2024 to debut three new sourcing countries

UK responsible sourcing show Source Fashion expects to double in size in 2024 with more than 320 exhibitors from around the world, including three new sourcing destinations.

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Sri Lanka’s eco-friendly apparel manufacturing surges with GOTS certification uptick

The Joint Apparel Association (JAAF) has observed a growing pattern within Sri Lanka's apparel manufacturing industry, with an increasing number of companies opting to adopt the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).

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RMG makers plan Tk9,000 monthly wages

The readymade garment (RMG) makers are planning to propose Tk 9,000 monthly wages for grade 7 workers to the Minimum Wages Board, despite the workers’ demand for Tk 23,000 per month.

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