Rupee records 8% year to date depreciation against US dollar

The Sri Lankan rupee has depreciated by 8.0% against the US dollar on a year-to-date basis as of June 26, 2026, according to the latest data released by the Central Bank.

The Central Bank's exchange rates on June 26 showed the US dollar buying rate at Rs. 332.22, the selling rate at Rs. 341.88 and the average exchange rate at Rs. 337.05, compared with an average rate of Rs. 300.04 recorded a year earlier.

Outstanding central government debt stood at Rs. 29,931.97 billion at the end of February 2026. Of this, outstanding domestic debt amounted to Rs. 18,618.45 billion, while the rupee value of outstanding foreign debt stood at Rs. 11,313.51 billion.

Meanwhile, the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI, 2021=100) based headline inflation accelerated to 5.4% in May 2026 from 4.7% in April 2026. Food inflation was recorded at 1.5%, while non-food inflation stood at 8.6%. NCPI-based core inflation also edged up to 4.5% in May from 4.4% in April.

The Central Bank also noted that tea production declined year-on-year during the first four months of 2026, mainly due to lower output in March and April resulting from prolonged dry weather. In contrast, rubber production recorded a year-on-year increase during the January to April period.