Official reserves (USD)
The country's savings in foreign currency, used to pay for imports and debt.
Source: Central Bank of Sri Lanka · As of Sep 2026 · Provisional · View source
Chart of Official reserves (USD) over time. 1.13 USD bn (Dec 2000) → 6.85 USD bn (Sep 2026).
Table
| Period | USD bn |
|---|---|
| Dec 2000 | 1.13 |
| Dec 2001 | 1.36 |
| Dec 2002 | 1.71 |
| Dec 2003 | 2.33 |
| Dec 2004 | 2.20 |
| Dec 2005 | 2.73 |
| Dec 2006 | 2.83 |
| Dec 2007 | 3.52 |
| Dec 2008 | 2.62 |
| Dec 2009 | 5.35 |
| Dec 2010 | 7.20 |
| Dec 2011 | 6.74 |
| Dec 2012 | 7.11 |
| Dec 2013 | 7.50 |
| Dec 2014 | 8.21 |
| Dec 2015 | 7.30 |
| Dec 2016 | 6.01 |
| Dec 2017 | 7.96 |
| Dec 2018 | 6.92 |
| Dec 2019 | 7.65 |
| Dec 2020 | 5.66 |
| Dec 2021 | 3.14 |
| Dec 2022 | 1.90 |
| Dec 2023 | 4.41 |
| Dec 2024 | 6.09 |
| Aug 2026 | 6.91* |
| Sep 2026 | 6.85* |
Sri Lanka's current situation
Reserves were 6.85 USD bn in Sep 2026, 0.76 USD bn versus a year earlier. Current status: No rating. Healthy range: A common rule of thumb is at least three months of import cover (Good); 1.5–3 months is Watch; below 1.5 months is Concern. Needs are higher with large foreign-debt repayments.
What is it?
Official reserves are the foreign currency (and gold) held by the Central Bank. They pay for imports, service foreign debt, and steady the rupee. They are often expressed in the "months of imports" they could cover.
A simple example
If the country imports USD 1.5 billion of goods a month and holds USD 4.5 billion in reserves, that is about three months of import cover — a common minimum benchmark.
What happens when it is high
Ample reserves reassure lenders and investors, support the currency and cushion shocks like an oil-price spike. Building them usually requires trade surpluses or borrowing.
What happens when it is low
Low reserves are dangerous: the country may struggle to pay for essential imports (fuel, medicine) or repay debt, the currency comes under pressure, and confidence can collapse — as in early 2022.
What is a healthy range
A common rule of thumb is at least three months of import cover (Good); 1.5–3 months is Watch; below 1.5 months is Concern. Needs are higher with large foreign-debt repayments.
What might happen next
Official projections
No data yet
Simple statistical trend
A simple statistical trend, not a prediction of what will happen. Forecasts are uncertain and are not financial advice.
Upside: tourism, remittances, exports and external financing rebuild reserves. Downside: resuming debt repayments, a wider trade gap or capital outflows draw them down. Not financial advice.
A simple statistical trend, not a prediction of what will happen. Forecasts are uncertain and are not financial advice.
For experts
Reserves are the country's financial safety buffer. Running them down was central to the 2022 crisis; rebuilding them is a key aim of the IMF programme.
How we calculate this
Total reserves including gold, current US dollars (World Bank annual; CBSL monthly). Shown in USD billion.