The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) reported that 212,302 Sri Lankan workers have left the country for overseas employment during the eight-month period from January to August 2025.
Of this total, 130,252 were male workers, outnumbering the 82,050 female workers who migrated for employment during the same period.
Kuwait emerged as the top destination for Sri Lankan workers, with 53,159 arrivals, followed by the United Arab Emirates (41,180) and Qatar (30,263). The SLBFE also noted a growing trend of migration to East Asia, with 8,015 workers moving to Japan and 4,324 to South Korea.
Meanwhile, migrant workers remitted USD 5.11 billion to Sri Lanka in the first eight months of 2025, representing a 19.3 percent increase compared to USD 4.28 billion recorded in the corresponding period last year.
In August 2025 alone, remittances amounted to USD 680.8 million. The SLBFE expressed confidence that total foreign remittances would surpass USD 7 billion by the end of the year.
