COLOMBO – The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) announced that 212,302 Sri Lankans have secured overseas employment between January and August 2025.
Of this total, 130,252 were men, significantly outnumbering the 82,050 women who departed during the same period.
Kuwait remained the leading destination, employing 53,159 Sri Lankans, followed by the United Arab Emirates (41,180) and Qatar (30,263). A notable increase was also observed in East Asia, with 8,015 workers travelling to Japan and 4,324 to South Korea.
Migrant workers sent home USD 5.11 billion in remittances during the first eight months of the year, marking a 19.3% rise from USD 4.28 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2024. In August alone, remittances stood at USD 680.8 million.
The SLBFE expressed optimism that total foreign remittances will reach USD 7 billion by the end of 2025, reinforcing the sector’s critical role in stabilising Sri Lanka’s economy.
