Sri Lanka’s external sector recorded positive developments in July 2026, with the country’s gross official reserves provisionally estimated to have increased to US$6.591 billion by the end of the month.
The reported reserve position includes the foreign exchange swap arrangement with the People’s Bank of China (PBOC).
Meanwhile, workers’ remittances continued to strengthen, reaching US$777.6 million in July 2026. This represents a significant increase compared with the US$695.0 million recorded in June 2026 and US$697.3 million recorded in July 2025.
Tourism also recorded notable growth during the month. Sri Lanka welcomed 196,845 tourist arrivals in July 2026, a substantial increase from the 124,551 arrivals recorded in June.
In addition, the domestic foreign exchange market recorded a net absorption of US$349 million on a value-date basis during July.
The latest figures point to continued improvement in Sri Lanka’s external sector, supported by stronger remittance inflows, a significant recovery in tourist arrivals and increased foreign exchange absorption in the domestic market.
