Sri Lanka Records USD 7.8Bn in Foreign Remittances for 2025

COLOMBO (News 1st); Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath announced that Sri Lanka achieved a historic milestone in foreign remittance inflows during 2025, marking the highest figure ever recorded in the country’s history.

“Sri Lankans employed in various professions across the Middle East, Europe, Australia, Japan, the United States, and many other countries have placed their trust in the new government and resumed sending money back to their families and to the country,” the Minister said.

By November alone, remittances had reached USD 7.19 billion, with monthly inflows averaging between USD 650 million and USD 700 million. 

While official figures for December are yet to be released by the Central Bank, estimates indicate that the final tally will bring the total to approximately USD 7.8 billion — surpassing the previous record of USD 7.14 billion set in 2016.

This achievement represents a significant vote of confidence in Sri Lanka’s economic stability and governance. 

In addition to remittances, the tourism sector generated USD 3.2 billion, bringing combined foreign exchange earnings from these two sectors to nearly USD 11.6 billion for the year.