By The Pulseline News Desk
Sri Lanka’s official reserve assets have declined by 1.1% in September 2026 to US$6.851 billion, down from US$6.929 billion recorded at the end of August, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL).
The latest figures indicate a US$78 million reduction in the country’s official reserve position during the month.
The official reserve assets include funds available under the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) swap arrangement.
However, CBSL has cautioned that the usability of the funds under the swap facility is subject to the applicable conditionalities of the swap arrangement.
The reserve position therefore includes the PBOC swap proceeds, but the full amount cannot necessarily be treated as immediately usable foreign exchange reserves.
The September decline comes as Sri Lanka continues to rebuild its external buffers under the country’s ongoing economic recovery and International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.
Despite the monthly decline, reserves remain substantially higher than the critically low levels recorded during the 2022 economic crisis, when Sri Lanka faced severe shortages of foreign exchange and struggled to meet essential import and debt-service requirements.
The movement in reserves will remain closely watched as the Government works to strengthen the country’s external position and build sufficient buffers to meet future external financing and debt-service obligations.
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