The Sri Lankan rupee has depreciated by 6.8% against the US dollar during the first ten months of 2026, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL).
In its latest External Sector Performance report, the Central Bank revealed that the exchange rate stood at Rs. 332.61 per US dollar at the end of October 2026, compared to Rs. 309.99 at the end of 2025.
This represents an increase of Rs. 22.62 in the rupee value of one US dollar during the ten-month period.
The Central Bank’s figures also show that the exchange rate stood at Rs. 292.58 per US dollar at the end of 2024, indicating a continued depreciation of the rupee against the dollar over the past two years.
The depreciation means that more Sri Lankan rupees are now required to purchase one US dollar, potentially increasing the local currency cost of imports and other dollar-denominated payments.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s gross official reserves stood at US$ 6.9 billion at the end of September 2026, including the swap facility with the People’s Bank of China.
The Central Bank also reported that Sri Lanka’s merchandise trade deficit widened to US$ 7.9 billion during January–September 2026, compared to US$ 5.2 billion during the corresponding period last year.
However, the monthly trade deficit narrowed to US$ 731 million in September, supported by stronger merchandise export earnings.
The latest figures were released as part of the Central Bank’s External Sector Performance report for September 2026. (Newswire)