Sri Lanka services exports edge up 0.67% in September as ICT earnings decline

By The Pulseline News Desk

Sri Lanka’s services exports recorded modest growth in September 2026, rising 0.67% year-on-year to an estimated US$306.17 million, despite a sharp decline in information and communication technology and business process management (ICT/BPM) earnings, according to the Export Development Board (EDB).

The September performance reflected contrasting trends across the services sector, with financial services and transport and logistics recording strong growth, while construction and ICT/BPM exports contracted.

Financial services exports increased by 166.04% to US$7.64 million compared with September 2025, while transport and logistics earnings rose 23.32% to US$167.90 million.

Transport and logistics remained the largest contributor among the reported services categories, highlighting its importance to Sri Lanka’s export earnings.

However, construction-related services exports fell 43.05% year-on-year to US$6.82 million, while ICT/BPM exports declined 19.15% to US$123.81 million.

The contraction in ICT/BPM earnings comes as Sri Lanka seeks to expand its digital services industry and increase export revenue from information technology, software development and business process outsourcing.

Despite the mixed performance in September, cumulative services exports continued to grow during the first nine months of the year.

Estimated services exports from January to September 2026 reached US$2.85 billion, representing a 3.88% increase compared with the corresponding period in 2025.

The figures indicate that overall services export earnings remain on a growth trajectory, although the latest monthly performance underscores the uneven recovery across key segments of the sector.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s merchandise exports also recorded a strong performance in September, supported by increased earnings from electronics, spices and petroleum-related products.

Total exports of goods and services were reported at approximately US$1.69 billion for September 2026, marking a 17.23% increase from the corresponding month last year.

The combined performance of merchandise and services exports will remain important to Sri Lanka’s efforts to strengthen foreign exchange inflows, improve external sector stability and sustain economic recovery.