Colombo, Sri Lanka – 23 September 2026 – The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has released its “Daily Economic Indicators” report for September 22, 2026, offering a comprehensive overview of the nation’s economic and financial performance. The report, crucial for policymakers, investors, and the general public, provides key statistics across various sectors, highlighting both stability and shifts in the Sri Lankan economy.
Macroeconomic Performance and Monetary Policy
Sri Lanka’s economic performance in the second quarter of 2026 saw a Real GDP Growth of 4.2%. Inflation figures for August 2026 indicated an NCPI Year-on-Year change of 8.1%, while the CCPI Year-on-Year change stood at 8.0%, suggesting a consistent inflationary environment. In terms of monetary policy, the Official Policy Rate (OPR) remained at 8.75%, with the Statutory Reserve Ratio (SRR) at 10.76%. The Weekly Average Weighted Prime Lending Rate (AWPR) was recorded at 9.35%, reflecting current market lending conditions.
Financial Market Dynamics
Exchange Rates
On September 22, 2026, the indicative rate for the USD/LKR spot exchange rate was 330.81. Telegraphic Transfer (TT) buying and selling rates for major currencies were:
- USD: Buying Rs. 326.2700, Selling Rs. 335.2890
- GBP: Buying Rs. 435.3240, Selling Rs. 449.6965
- EUR: Buying Rs. 372.9310, Selling Rs. 385.9797
- JPY: Buying Rs. 2.0649, Selling Rs. 2.1393
Money Market and Treasury Bills
Overnight liquidity in the money market experienced a notable change, decreasing from Rs. 145.72 billion on September 21 to Rs. 94.09 billion on September 22. The Average Weighted Call Money Rate (AWCMR) was 8.97%, and the Average Weighted Repo Rate (AWRR) was 8.92%. Yield rates for Treasury Bills on September 22, 2026, saw the 182-Day T-Bill at 9.65%, while no new data was available for 91-Day and 364-Day T-Bills for the specified date.
Share Market Performance
The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) on September 22, 2026, reported the All Share Price Index (ASPI) at 21,054.01 and the S&P SL20 Index at 5,928.86. Daily turnover stood at Rs. 1,373.08 million, with the total market capitalisation reaching Rs. 7,638.47 billion. The Price-to-Earnings (PE) Ratio was 10.91. Foreign investor activity recorded purchases of Rs. 20.08 million against sales of Rs. 82.18 million.
Energy Sector Overview
Electricity Generation
Electricity generation on September 22, 2026, totalled 57.73 GWh, an increase from 54.40 GWh on the previous day. Peak demand also rose to 2,855.60 MW. The energy mix for the day was predominantly Hydro (45.7%), followed by Thermal Coal (20.1%), Solar (19.6%), Thermal Oil (8.2%), Wind (5.8%), and Biomass (0.6%).
Global and Local Petroleum Prices
Global crude oil prices on September 22 saw Brent at USD 90.06 per barrel, WTI at USD 111.00 per barrel, and the OPEC basket at USD 139.60 per barrel. Refined Petrol (Singapore Platts) was priced at USD 166.14 per barrel. Domestically, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) local prices remained at Rs. 399.00 per litre for 92 Octane Petrol, Rs. 382.00 per litre for Auto Diesel, and Rs. 285.00 per litre for Kerosene.
Currency and Reserve Money
Currency in Circulation saw a slight increase to Rs. 1,652,785.47 million on September 22, up from Rs. 1,652,348.99 million a day prior. Reserve Money, however, marginally decreased to Rs. 1,917,266.62 million from Rs. 1,917,272.71 million.
These daily indicators provide invaluable insights into the dynamic state of Sri Lanka’s economy, offering transparency and data-driven perspectives for all stakeholders. DailyFC will continue to monitor these developments and provide expert analysis.
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