Sri Lanka's New Vehicle Registrations Jumped to 312,317 in 2025

The headline figures

The Sunday Times (11 January 2026) reported Department of Motor Traffic statistics comparing 2024 and 2025, a period that includes the lifting of the import ban.

• New registrations: up from 74,410 in 2024 to 312,317 as of November 2025.
• Department revenue: Rs 64,740mn in 2025, an increase of 111% compared to Rs 17,529mn in 2024. It exceeded both the original and revised estimates.
• Highest revenue month: September 2025, at Rs 13,104mn.

Month highlights

• September 2025 recorded the highest number of new registrations at 48,957, with October following at 45,006.
• January 2025, before the ban was lifted, was the lowest month at 11,464.

Where the extra revenue came from

Key streams were Luxury Motor Vehicle Tax, tax on the sale of motor vehicles, carbon tax, motor traffic fees and registration fees. Luxury Motor Vehicle Tax revenue rose by 116.65% and registration fees by 160.09%, which together made up the largest shares of the increase.

Context

The import ban that started in 2020 was lifted from 1 February 2025, although a phased approach let buses and special vehicles be imported earlier, in late 2024.

How to read these numbers

The registration total is for the period to November 2025, so the full-year figure is likely higher. The report does not break out how many registrations were new imports and how many were other changes, so we avoid drawing that conclusion.

Fact-checked on 30 October 2026 against the sources listed below. Tax rules and prices change by gazette, so confirm with Sri Lanka Customs or the Ministry of Finance before you pay.