October inflows lift Sri Lanka’s remittances to US $ 7.6bn

Daily Mirror and EconomyNext report that official worker remittances to Sri Lanka rose 3.3% year on year to $735.6 million in October 2026, citing Central Bank data. EconomyNext reports that inflows for the first 10 months totalled $7,600.9 million, up 16.5% from the same period a year earlier.

EconomyNext reports that analysts expect remittances to set a new annual record in 2026, exceeding the $8,076.2 million recorded in 2025, and forecast the total could approach $9 billion if current economic and exchange-rate policies continue. The outlet also notes that December 2025 set a monthly record of $879.1 million.

EconomyNext reports that monthly inflows fell to a seven-month low in June after the rupee weakened amid an escalation in the Middle East, a major destination for Sri Lankan workers, and recovered afterward. Currency dealers cited by the outlet say the rupee was broadly stable and edged upward from July, though it faced some downward pressure in the latest two months. Analysts cited by EconomyNext say exchange-rate uncertainty can lead expatriates to use informal transfer channels, including Hawala and Undiyal.

EconomyNext reports that higher remittances have accompanied increased overseas employment departures during Sri Lanka’s recovery from its 2022 economic crisis. It says the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment recorded 211,666 workers leaving for overseas jobs in the first nine months of 2026. The outlet also links the growth in formal transfers since 2022 to the Central Bank’s abandonment of a parallel exchange-rate regime, after which many expatriates shifted from informal channels.