Foreign exchange earned through remittances sent home by Sri Lankan migrant workers has surpassed the US$5 billion threshold for the first seven months of 2026, according to the latest Central Bank data. Cumulative inflows between January and July reached US$5,382.4 million, marking a rise of 21.4 percent compared with US$4,435.2 million recorded over the same period last year.
Rupee Terms Show Even Sharper Growth
In rupee terms, the increase was even more pronounced, with inflows climbing 30.3 percent to Rs. 1,724.2 billion from Rs. 1,323.2 billion during the corresponding seven months of 2025. The gap between the dollar and rupee growth rates reflects currency movements over the period, underlining the scale of the boost to domestic liquidity brought about by these inflows.
July Alone Records Strong Gains
For July 2026 alone, remittances totalled US$777.6 million, equivalent to Rs. 261.3 billion, rising from US$697.3 million, or Rs. 210.0 billion, recorded in July of the previous year. The steady month-on-month growth suggests that the upward trend seen across the first half of the year has carried through into the third quarter.
Remittances Remain Sri Lanka's Top Foreign Exchange Source
With both export earnings and tourism continuing to face external headwinds, remittances have once again cemented their position as the country's single largest source of foreign exchange.
These inflows continue to provide crucial support to Sri Lanka's external reserves and to the stability of the macroeconomic environment, at a time when other foreign exchange channels remain under pressure.
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