Sri Lanka’s Reserves Surge to USD 6.8 Billion—Highest Since Crisis

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka has achieved a significant milestone in its economic recovery, with gross official reserves surpassing USD 6.8 billion by the end of 2025, marking the highest level recorded since the crisis.

This achievement exceeds the IMF’s latest projection of USD 6.55 billion, despite delays in IMF disbursements and challenging external conditions.

Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe highlighted the resilience behind this accomplishment:

“Despite meeting obligations for servicing external debt, restructuring challenges, and increased demand for vehicle imports, reserves hovered around USD 6 to 6.3 billion for most of the year before climbing to USD 6.8 billion. This is well above IMF expectations—even without the anticipated USD 350 million disbursement, as we only received USD 200 million.”

The build-up of reserves was largely supported by USD 2 billion in net foreign purchases, primarily from Central Bank purchases in the domestic foreign exchange market, along with proceeds from multilateral agencies such as the ADB and IMF.

Record purchases in previous years also contributed significantly, with USD 1.7 billion in 2023 and USD 2.8 billion in 2024.