Electricity generation surges in May

Sri Lanka’s electricity generation surged 7.7 percent in May 2025 to 1,531 gigawatt-hours, according to official data, amid an economic recovery, price cuts, and an expansion in electric vehicles.

As of May 2025, electricity generation had increased by 3.7 percent to 7,167 gigawatt-hours.

Electricity generation is a transparent proxy of underlying economic activity.

After February 2025, Sri Lanka began importing electric vehicles. The impact of electric cars on demand is not yet clear.

Expensive new cars are typically purchased by higher-income earners who drive more frequently than those who own older cars.

But petrol sales, which is an indicator of private transport, were also up 14.8 percent to 128,000 metric tonnes in May.