Rupee down 6.8% YTD by end-October; reserves at $ 6.9 b

Monday, 2 November 2026 06:25 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

9M outflow from Govt. Securities at $ 168 m, outflow from stock market $ 170 m

The Sri Lankan rupee weakened further in October, trading at Rs. 332.61 against the US dollar by end-month, from Rs. 330.83 at end-September and Rs. 309.99 at end-2025, Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) data showed.

“By end October 2026, the Sri Lanka rupee depreciated by 6.8% against the US dollar on a year-to-date basis,” the CBSL said in its External Sector Performance report for September, released on Friday.

The rupee had depreciated 6.3% year-to-date by end-September.

“Gross official reserves by end September 2026, including the swap facility with the People’s Bank of China, stood at $ 6.9 billion,” the CBSL said.

The swap facility is a bilateral currency swap arrangement with China’s central bank, which the CBSL includes in reserves. The reserves provided import coverage of 3.3 months, a measure of how long they could finance the country’s imports.

“Foreign investment in the Government securities market recorded a net outflow of $ 39.9 million, while foreign investment in the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), including both primary and secondary market transactions, recorded a net outflow of $ 4.7 million during September 2026,” the CBSL said.

During January-September, foreign investors recorded a net inflow of $ 168 million into Government securities, compared with $ 178 million a year earlier, while net outflows from the CSE widened to $ 170 million from $ 85 million.