COLOMBO, SRI LANKA, April 9, 2021— Despite the heavy toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on Sri Lanka’s economy and the lives of its people, the economy will recover in 2021, though challenges remain, says the latest World Bank Sri Lanka Development Update: Economic and Poverty Impact of COVID-19 released today.
The Sri Lanka Development Update (SLDU) notes that the country, hit with an unprecedented economic downturn due to the pandemic, is now on the road to recovery. Sri Lanka’s economic growth is expected to recover to 3.4 percent in 2021, mainly due to foreign investments as well as normalizing tourism and other economic activities. However, the slow global recovery, coupled with continued trade restrictions, economic scarring from the slowdown, and the high debt burden may continue to affect growth.
