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EXTERNAL • MonthlyUpdated: 2026-08-18
Workers' Remittances Inflow
විදේශගත ශ්රමික ප්රේෂණ ආදායම • வெளிநாட்டுப் பணியாளர் பணப்பரிமாற்றம்
Current Observation
6.8 USD Billion / Year
YoY Trajectory
+0.8 USD Billion / Year
Policy Target Context
Higher value is generally positive
Historical Time Series (1995–2026)
Citizen Plain-Language Guide & Sri Lanka Context
What does this metric measure?
Money remitted by Sri Lankans working overseas (Middle East, Europe, East Asia) into Sri Lankan bank accounts.
Why does this matter to ordinary citizens?
Remittances are Sri Lanka's largest source of non-debt foreign exchange, keeping the currency stable and families supported.
Sri Lanka's 1995–2026 Experience
Remittances plummeted in 2021 when the artificial 203 USD/LKR peg pushed migrants to unofficial Undiyal/Hawala channels. Once the currency floated, official inflows rebounded sharply to ~$6.8B in 2025–2026.
Historical Observations Table
| Period / Year | Value (USD Billion / Year) | Source Tier |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 0.8 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2000 | 1.2 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2005 | 2 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2010 | 4.1 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2015 | 7 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2018 | 7 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2020 | 7.1 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2021 | 5.5 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2022 | 3.8 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2023 | 5.9 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2024 | 6.4 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2025 | 6.6 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2026 TTM | 6.8 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |