The country maintained gross official reserves of US$6.45 billion at the end of June 2026, providing continued support for external payments as workers’ remittances remained strong during the first half of the year.
Latest figures released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) show the reserve balance stood at US$6.45 billion at the end of June, compared with US$6.88 billion a month earlier.
Compared with month of May, reserves changed by US$431 million, or 6.3%, over the month June.
Foreign Currency Assets Changed in June
The overall reserve position reflected changes in foreign currency assets and gold holdings during the month.
Foreign currency reserves stood at US$6.25 billion in June, compared with US$6.66 billion in May.
Meanwhile, gold holdings were valued at US$191 million, down from US$216 million a month earlier.
The reserve balance continues to include proceeds from the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) currency swap arrangement.
Remittances Continue to Support Foreign Exchange
Workers’ remittances remained one of the strongest sources of foreign exchange.
Overseas workers sent home US$695 million in June, an increase of 9.3% compared with June 2025.
During the first six months of 2026, remittances reached US$4.60 billion, up 23.2% from the same period last year.
Tourism Earnings Ease
Tourism earned US$151.1 million in June.
That was slightly lower than US$155.7 million recorded in May and US$169.5 million in June 2025.
For the first half of the year, tourism earnings totaled US$1.51 billion, while tourist arrivals reached 1.15 million.
Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Weekly Economic Indicators
Last modified: July 12, 2026
