Wage rate indices

Wage rate indices: public sector, wages boards and the minimum wage, nominal and real. Monthly and annual, 1967–2026.

Published by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and the DoL; read from CBSL Economic Data Library (wizard), CBSL Economic and Social Statistics, CBSL SDDS 'More Data' workbooks and CBSL statistical tables.

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Formal private sector wage rate index(december 1978=100)(Nominal) (formal private sector wage rate index)13,513.5Index Value+2.7%
Formal private sector wage rate index(december 1978=100)(Real) (formal private sector wage rate index)140.3Index Value−4.9%
Public sector wage rate index (2016=100)(Nominal) (public sector wage rate index)192.6index+5.0%
Public sector wage rate index (2016=100)(Real) (public sector wage rate index)76.6index−2.8%
Informal private sector wage rate index (2018=100)(Nominal) (informal private sector wage rate index)210.8Index Value+9.8%
Informal private sector wage rate index (2018=100)(Nominal) - y-o-y change (informal private sector wage rate index)9.9%+4.1 pts
Informal private sector wage rate index (2018=100)(Nominal) - agriculture (informal private sector wage rate index)213.1Index Value+10.3%
Informal private sector wage rate index (2018=100)(Nominal) - agriculture - y-o-y change (informal private sector wage rate index)10.3%+4.5 pts
Informal private sector wage rate index (2018=100)(Nominal) - industry (informal private sector wage rate index)212.3Index Value+10.8%
Informal private sector wage rate index (2018=100)(Nominal) - industry - y-o-y change (informal private sector wage rate index)10.8%+4.1 pts
Informal private sector wage rate index (2018=100)(Nominal) - services (informal private sector wage rate index)204.5Index Value+6.9%
Informal private sector wage rate index (2018=100)(Nominal) - services - y-o-y change (informal private sector wage rate index)6.9%+3.0 pts
Public sector wage rate index (2016=100)(Nominal) - y-o-y change (public sector wage rate index)5.0%−8.7 pts
Public sector wage rate index (2012=100)(Nominal) (public sector wage rate index) ended178.5Index Value+10.0%
Public sector wage rate index (2012=100)(Real) (public sector wage rate index) ended132.1Index Value+4.0%
Informal private sector wage rate index(2012=100)(nominal) (informal private sector wage rate index) ended277.3Index Value+27.7%
Informal private sector wage rate index(2012=100)(real) (informal private sector wage rate index) ended107.6Index Value−25.1%
Wage rate indices
Public sector (2016=100) nominal192.6index+5.0%
Public sector (2016=100) real76.6index−2.8%
Informal private sector (2018=100) nominal210.8index+9.9%
Informal private sector (2018=100) real92.1index+1.6%
Minimum wage rate indices of formal private sector employees
Workers in agriculture - nominal ended15,703.0index+50.3%
Workers in agriculture - real ended173.9index+47.2%
Workers in industry and commerce - nominal ended9,463.5index+104.9%
Workers in industry and commerce - real ended104.8index+100.6%
Workers in services - nominal ended6,622.0index+115.7%
Workers in services - real ended73.3index+111.2%
Workers in wage boards - nominal ended13,157.1index+59.7%
Workers in wage boards - real ended145.7index+56.3%
Wage rate indices of public sector employees
Senior level officers - nominal ended188.8index+16.7%
Senior level officers - real ended79.8index+13.4%
Tertiary level officers - nominal ended191.4index+15.0%
Tertiary level officers - real ended80.9index+11.8%
Secondary level officers - nominal ended186.1index+13.9%
Secondary level officers - real ended78.7index+10.7%
Primary level officers - nominal ended173.6index+12.2%
Primary level officers - real ended73.4index+9.0%
All government officers - nominal ended183.4index+13.7%
All government officers - real ended77.5index+10.5%
Wage rate indices of informal private sector employees
Agriculture - nominal ended196.1index+5.4%
Agriculture - real ended91.2index+2.5%
Industry - nominal ended194.6index+5.9%
Industry - real ended90.5index+2.8%
Services - nominal ended192.9index+4.6%
Services - real ended89.7index+1.7%
Informal private sector - nominal ended194.6index+5.5%
Informal private sector - real ended90.5index+2.5%
Public sector wage rate index
Clerical employees (nominal, 1978 base) ended6,634.12index (Dec 1978=100)0.0%
Clerical employees (real, 1978 base) ended156.82index (Dec 1978=100)−5.3%
Skilled employees other than clerical (nominal, 1978 base) ended6,362.85index (Dec 1978=100)0.0%
Skilled employees other than clerical (real, 1978 base) ended150.4index (Dec 1978=100)−5.3%
NON-Executive officers: unskilled employees (nominal, 1978 base) ended8,148.05index (Dec 1978=100)0.0%
NON-Executive officers: unskilled employees (real, 1978 base) ended192.6index (Dec 1978=100)−5.3%
All non executive officers (nominal, 1978 base) ended7,413.01index (Dec 1978=100)0.0%
All non executive officers (real, 1978 base) ended175.23index (Dec 1978=100)−5.3%
Skilled employees (nominal, 1978 base) ended8,686.4index (Dec 1978=100)0.0%
Skilled employees (real, 1978 base) ended205.33index (Dec 1978=100)−5.3%
Minor employees: unskilled employees (nominal, 1978 base) ended8,761.98index (Dec 1978=100)0.0%
Minor employees: unskilled employees (real, 1978 base) ended207.12index (Dec 1978=100)−5.3%
All minor employees (nominal, 1978 base) ended9,341.58index (Dec 1978=100)0.0%
All minor employees (real, 1978 base) ended220.82index (Dec 1978=100)−5.3%
All central government employees (nominal, 1978 base) ended8,333.19index (Dec 1978=100)0.0%
All central government employees (real, 1978 base) ended196.98index (Dec 1978=100)−5.3%
Government school teachers (nominal, 1978 base) ended6,067.7index (Dec 1978=100)0.0%
Government school teachers (real, 1978 base) ended143.43index (Dec 1978=100)−5.3%

Formal private sector wage rate index(december 1978=100)(Nominal) (formal private sector wage rate index)

Index Value, 1978 base, monthly. Aug 2026: 13,513.5, +2.7% on a year earlier

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* Calculated by Macro Lab from the published values. Constant prices are at the base year's prices. Base: 1978 (2014–2017).