Sri Lanka’s workers’ remittances surged to $695.7 million in September 2025, marking the third highest monthly inflow so far this year, according to the latest data released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL).
The September figure reflects a 25.2% year-on-year (YoY) increase, extending the streak of record inflows for the sixth consecutive month, and highlighting the continued recovery in foreign worker earnings.
Cumulatively, remittances during the first nine months of 2025 rose by 20% YoY, surpassing $5.8 billion — the strongest performance for the period since 2020. The year-to-date (YTD) figure also represents an 8% increase compared to the $5.38 billion recorded in the same period of 2016, which remains the year with the highest annual remittances at $7.24 billion.
Following a sharp rebound of 57% growth in 2023 to $5.96 billion after a 12-year low of $3.78 billion in 2022, Sri Lanka’s remittance inflows continued to strengthen in 2024, reaching $6.57 billion, up 10.1% from the previous year.
Analysts attribute the sustained growth to improved confidence in official channels, stabilizing exchange rates, and a record outflow of workers seeking foreign employment amid post-crisis economic adjustments.
Historically, Sri Lanka’s annual workers’ remittances peaked in 2016, while from 2014 to 2018, inflows averaged around $7 billion per year, or approximately $600 million per month.
