World Factbook
Sri Lanka
Shri Lanka Prajatantrika Samajavadi Janarajaya (Sinhala)/ Ilankai Jananayaka Choshalichak Kutiyarachu (Tamil)
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Military - note
the military of Sri Lanka is responsible for external defense, maritime security, and maintaining internal security; it has sent small numbers of personnel on UN peacekeeping missions; from 1983 to 2009, the military fought against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a conflict that involved both guerrilla and conventional warfare, as well as acts of terrorism and human rights abuses, and cost the military nearly 30,000 killed; since the end of the war, a large portion of the Army reportedly remains deployed in the majority Tamil-populated northern and eastern provinces; the military over the past decade also has increased its role in a range of commercial sectors including agriculture, hotels, leisure, and restaurants Sri Lanka traditionally has had close security ties to India; the Sri Lankan and Indian militaries conduct exercises together, and India trains approximately 1,000 Sri Lankan soldiers per year; in recent years, Sri Lanka has increased military ties with China, including acquiring military equipment, hosting naval port calls, and sending personnel to China for training (2025)
Military deployments
120 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 130 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2025)
Military expenditures
Military Expenditures 2020
2% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021
1.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022
1.7% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023
1.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2024
1.5% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military and security forces
Sri Lanka Armed Forces: Sri Lanka Army (includes National Guard and the Volunteer Force), Sri Lanka Navy (includes Marine Corps), Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Coast Guard; Civil Security Department (Home Guard) Ministry of Public Security: Sri Lanka Police (2025)
note: the Civil Security Department, also known as the Civil Defense Force, is an auxiliary force administered by the Ministry of Defense
Military service age and obligation
generally 18-24 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women, although upper age limits may vary by branch of service, roles, specialties, etc; no conscription (2026)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the military's armaments are mostly of Chinese, Indian, Russian/Soviet, and US origin (2025)
Military and security service personnel strengths
estimated 210,000 active Armed Forces (140,000 Army; 25,000 Air Force; 45,000 Navy) (2025)
note: the Sri Lankan military has been downsizing for several years; in 2025, the Sri Lankan Government announced its intent to decrease the size of the Army to 100,000, the Air Force to 18,000, and the Navy to 40,000 by 2030