Sri Lanka recorded a sharp increase in workers’ remittances in February 2026, with inflows rising 33 per cent year on year to reach 729 million US dollars, according to the latest data released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. The figure marks the second consecutive month of record inflows and highlights the continued resilience of Sri Lankan expatriate workers.
The February inflow surpassed the previous monthly peak of 598 million dollars recorded in 2018 by about 22 per cent. It also ranks among the highest monthly remittance inflows in the country’s history, following the 879 million dollars recorded in December 2025 and 751 million dollars in January 2026.
Despite the strong performance, February inflows were marginally lower than January by around 3 per cent, reflecting normal seasonal variations in transfers.
Cumulative remittances for the first two months of 2026 exceeded 1.48 billion dollars, representing a 32 per cent increase compared with the same period last year. The surge follows a historic performance in 2025 when annual remittances reached a record 8.07 billion dollars.
Analysts attribute the sustained growth partly to policy reforms that encouraged migrants to remit funds through formal banking channels, strengthening foreign exchange liquidity and reinforcing remittances as Sri Lanka’s largest source of foreign currency.
