Sri Lanka’s total gross public debt climbed to nearly Rs. 33 trillion by the end of June 2026, according to official figures released by the Public Debt Management Office.
The latest Statistical Debt Bulletin shows total public debt reached Rs. 32.977 trillion at the close of the second quarter, rising from Rs. 32.233 trillion recorded at the end of March.
The surge represents an increase of approximately Rs. 744 billion over the three-month period.
Dollar debt falls as rupee load expands
Despite the expansion in rupee terms, the overall debt burden contracted when calculated in US dollars, declining from US$102.27 billion in March to US$97.95 billion in June.
The figures reflect a quarter-end exchange rate of Rs. 336.66 per US dollar.
Central government obligations formed the vast majority of the total, rising to Rs. 31.999 trillion from Rs. 31.193 trillion in the previous quarter.
Within central government debt, domestic liabilities accounted for Rs. 19.203 trillion, while external debt stood at Rs. 12.796 trillion.
External liabilities and creditor breakdown
External government debt expanded by US$540 million over the quarter, moving from US$37.47 billion in March to US$38.01 billion by the end of June.
Multilateral lenders hold the largest share of this external debt at 38 per cent, followed by commercial creditors at 34 per cent and bilateral lenders at 28 per cent.
China remains the country's largest bilateral creditor, with US$5.01 billion outstanding. Japan holds the second largest share at US$2.27 billion, followed by India at US$853.9 million.
Additionally, government-guaranteed debt tied to state-owned enterprises stood at Rs. 971 billion, while liabilities held by provincial councils and local authorities totalled around Rs. 7 billion.
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