Current account surplus hits new peak at $ 2 b YTD

SRI Lanka's current account surplus expanded in the first eight months of 2025, reaching $2.04 billion on the back of stronger remittances, services and tourism earnings, and moderate export growth, even as the merchandise trade deficit widened, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) said.

- 

Eight-month trade deficit up 19.6% YoY to $ 4.26 b Jan.-Aug. imports up 10.5% to $ 13.34 b, exports up 6.7% to $ 9.07 b Aug. trade deficit narrows to $ 414 m Aug. exports up 4% YoY to $ 1.28 b, imports up 2.6% YoY to $ 1.69 b Jan.-Aug. workers' remittances up 19.3% YoY to $ 5.1 b; Aug. inflow up 18% YoY to $ 681 m Tourism earnings $2.3 b in Jan.-Aug., up 5.7% YoY; Aug. arrivals up 20% YoY to 198,235, but earnings fall 8.2% YoY to $ 259 m Services net inflows up 2.3% YoY to $ 2.66 b despite Aug. decline Debt-related investment inflows up 34% YoY to $ 714 m; portfolio investments decline 39% YoY to $ 332.6 m Gross reserves at $ 6.2 b end-Aug., including swaps Rupee depreciates 3.3% against USD to end-Sept. 2025

In its latest external sector data release, the CBSL said that the current account registered a surplus of $2.04 billion during the first eight months of 2025, up 26.1% year-on-year (YoY) from $ 1.6 billion in the same period last year.