Sri Lanka, April 1 -- The Sri Lanka rupee had depreciated by 1.6 per cent against the US dollar in 2026, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has confirmed.

According to the CBSL, the buying rate of the US dollar was Rs. 311.76 while the selling rate stood at Rs. 319.31 at the end of trading yesterday (31).

The Central Bank noted that the depreciation of the Sri Lanka rupee against the US dollar is a reflection on the emergence of external sector pressures following the commencement of the Middle East conflict in late Feb 2026.

Meanwhile, the external current account recorded a surplus in February 2026, extending the trend observed since November 2025, and recorded a cumulative surplus of US$ 487 million during January-February 2026, t...