ICT, finance lift Sri Lanka’s services exports
COLOMBO, SRI LANKA — Sri Lanka’s services exports grew 3.75% year-on-year (YoY) to $344.52 million in June 2026, led by an 11.31% increase in information technology-business process management (IT-BPM) receipts and a 29.56% surge in financial services earnings.
According to a report from Lanka Newspapers, the June performance contributed to total export earnings of $1.66 billion for the month — a 12.53% increase over June 2025 — as Sri Lanka’s cumulative exports crossed $9.01 billion in the first half of 2026.
IT-BPM and financial services lead Sri Lanka’s services export growth
Sri Lanka’s IT-BPM sector earned $150.49 million in June 2026, accounting for the largest share of services receipts and outpacing the broader 3.75% services growth rate by more than seven percentage points.
Across the first half of 2026, IT-BPM exports reached $885.42 million — a 17.63% increase over the same period in 2025 — reinforcing the sector’s position as the primary engine of Sri Lanka’s services export diversification away from traditional merchandise categories.
Financial services earned $3.21 million in June 2026, a 29.56% increase that, while smaller in absolute terms, represents the fastest percentage growth rate across all services export categories for the month.
Sri Lanka’s total services exports reached $1.94 billion in the first half of 2026, a 4.49% increase over the prior year period, as the country’s export mix continues shifting toward knowledge-based services.
Sri Lanka’s IT-BPM sector, growing at 17.63% in the first half of 2026, outperforms both the broader services sector (4.49% growth) and total exports (8% growth), establishing it as the country’s fastest-scaling export category.
“The results demonstrated the resilience and competitiveness of Sri Lankan exporters despite evolving global market conditions,” said Mangala Wijesinghe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Sri Lanka Export Development Board (edb.gov.lk).
National export plan targets 8-10% growth as IT-BPM leads diversification
Sri Lanka’s National Export Development Plan 2026–2030 prioritizes innovation promotion, market expansion, and value-added product development as the structural framework for sustaining the export trajectory recorded through the first half of the year.
The IT-BPM sector’s 11.31% June growth and 17.63% first-half growth both substantially exceed overall services export growth, establishing the sector as the primary driver of Sri Lanka’s export diversification strategy.
“We are targeting 8-10% export growth this year,” said Wijesinghe.
For BPO operators and technology delivery buyers evaluating South Asian markets, Sri Lanka’s IT-BPM trajectory — $885 million in the first half of 2026, growing at 17.63% — provides data on a market that is scaling faster than its overall services sector and traditional export base.
The National Export Development Plan’s 2026–2030 horizon and the government’s 8-10% growth target indicate that IT-BPM expansion is a policy priority, not merely a market outcome.
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