📈 Workers’ Remittances Surge to Record Highs in May 2026

Sri Lanka’s migrant worker earnings have hit historic highs, strengthening its position as the nation’s single largest source of foreign exchange and driving macroeconomic stability. • May 2026 Performance: Inflows jumped 36.2% YoY to US$ 847 Mn, up 10.3% from April’s US$ 767.9 Mn. This marks the fifth consecutive month of robust growth and stands as the second-highest monthly inflow in history, just behind the US$ 879 Mn record set in December 2025. • Cumulative 5-Month Total: Remittances for January-May 2026 exceeded US$ 3.9 Bn, a 26% YoY increase, marking the strongest first-five-month performance ever recorded. • National Economic Context: With export earnings and tourism facing external pressures, these inflows provide critical support to external reserves. The momentum follows a historic 2025 where full-year remittances peaked at an all-time high of US$ 8.07 Bn (a 23% increase from 2024). • Historical Recovery: This sustained growth reflects a sharp turnaround from the 2022 economic crisis when inflows hit a 12-year low of US$ 3.78 Bn. Recovery was driven by a post-crisis surge in outbound labour migration starting in 2024, followed by higher average transfers per worker in 2025 and 2026.