Sri Lanka’s workers’ remittances increased by 9.3 percent year-on-year to US$695 million in June 2026, according to the latest data released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

However, tourism earnings recorded a decline during the same month, falling to US$151.1 million compared to US$155.7 million in May and US$169.5 million in June 2025.

Although monthly remittance inflows were lower than the US$847 million received in May 2026, earnings from overseas workers showed strong annual growth, rising from US$635.7 million recorded in June last year.

During the first six months of 2026, Sri Lanka received US$4.60 billion in workers’ remittances, marking a 23.2 percent increase compared to US$3.74 billion recorded during the same period in 2025.

Meanwhile, tourism revenue during the January to June period stood at US$1.51 billion, reflecting an 11.8 percent decline from US$1.71 billion earned in the first half of last year.

Tourist arrivals also decreased slightly during the first six months of 2026, falling by 1.8 percent to 1.15 million visitors.

The Central Bank reported that Sri Lanka’s gross official reserves were provisionally estimated at US$6.45 billion by the end of June 2026, including funds from the People’s Bank of China currency swap arrangement.

The Central Bank further stated that the Sri Lankan rupee had depreciated by 7.9 percent against the US dollar during the year up to July 10, 2026.

The latest figures highlight continued growth in foreign worker remittances, while tourism earnings face challenges amid changing global travel conditions.