Sri Lanka 2011 GDP rises by 8.3pc

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's gross domestic product (GDP) grew at a faster than expected annual rate of 8.3 percent last year, up from 8 percent in 2010, government data released by the Department of Census and Statistics showed on Saturday.

The island nation's $59 billion economy grew at 8.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011 year-on-year, marginally easing from a 8.4 percent expansion in the third quarter.

A Reuters poll of 11 analysts predicted an annual growth of 8 percent in 2011 and 7.7 percent in the fourth quarter.