Sri Lankan Rupee
රුපියල
Currency Code
LKR
ISO 144
Symbol
LKR
Native: ₨
Decimal Digits
2
Rounding: 0
Countries
LK
Using this currency
Currency Units
Major Unit
Name: rupee
Symbol: ₨
Minor Unit
Name: cent
Symbol:
Value: 0.01
Banknotes
Frequently Used
₨20₨50₨100₨500₨1000₨5000
Rarely Used
₨10₨2000
Coins
Frequently Used
₨1₨2₨5₨10
Rarely Used
25 cents50 cents
Plural Forms
English Plural
Sri Lankan rupees
Native Plural
රුපියල්
Overview
The Sri Lankan Rupee is the currency of Sri Lanka, managed by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. It experienced a severe crisis in 2022 with massive devaluation during the country's economic and political turmoil.
Economy
- Sri Lanka is a member of SAARC, Commonwealth, Non-Aligned Movement, BIMSTEC.
- Main industries include: Processing of rubber, Tea, Coconuts, Tobacco, Other agricultural commodities, Telecommunications, Insurance, Banking, Clothing, Textiles, Cement, Petroleum refining.
- Sri Lanka is part of the World Trade Organization.
- Imports are petroleum, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, building materials, mineral products, foodstuffs.
- Major exports include textiles and apparel, tea and spices, rubber manufactures, precious stones, coconut products, fish.
- GDP: $75.3 billion (2023 est.).
- GDP per capita: $3,354 (2023 est.).
- Unemployment rate: 4.7% (2023 est.).
- Inflation rate: 25.2% (2023 est.).
- Main trading partners: China, India, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Germany, United Kingdom.
- Trade agreements: India-Sri Lanka FTA, Pakistan-Sri Lanka FTA, SAFTA, Various bilateral agreements.
History
- Previous currencies used: Indian rupee, Ceylon rupee, British pound (colonial).
- The Sri Lankan rupee was introduced in 1872, initially pegged to the Indian rupee. It became an independent currency after various reforms and has experienced several crises.
- 1872: Ceylon rupee introduced, pegged to Indian rupee
- 1950: Sri Lankan rupee established independently
- 1977: Floating exchange rate adopted
- 1983-2009: Civil war period with economic impact
- 2001: First IMF program
- 2022: Severe economic crisis and currency collapse
- 2023: IMF bailout program initiated
- Exchange rate peg: INR (1872-1950).
- Exchange rate peg: Managed float (1977-present).
General Information
- ISO 4217 Code: LKR
- Symbols: LKR/Rs
- Currency Subunits: 100 cents
- Central Bank: Central Bank of Sri Lanka
- Monetary Policy: Flexible exchange rate regime with inflation targeting. Focus on economic stabilization under IMF program.
- Bills: 20 LKR, 50 LKR, 100 LKR, 500 LKR, 1000 LKR, 2000 LKR, 5000 LKR
- Coins: 1 rupee, 2 rupees, 5 rupees, 10 rupees, 20 rupees
- USD Exchange Rate: Variable (approximately 325-330 LKR per USD)
- Pegged To: None (Floating)
- Capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (legislative), Colombo (commercial)
- Population: 23,326,272 (2023 est.)
- Area: 65,610 km²
- Languages: Sinhala (official), Tamil (official), English
- Time Zones: UTC+5:30 (Sri Lanka Standard Time)
- Government Type: Presidential republic
- Head of Government: President (head of state and government)
- Independence: February 4, 1948 (from United Kingdom)
- Ethnic Groups: Sinhalese 74.9%, Sri Lankan Tamil 11.2%, Sri Lankan Moors 9.2%, Indian Tamil 4.2%, Other 0.5%
- Religions: Buddhist 70.2%, Hindu 12.6%, Islam 9.7%, Roman Catholic 6.1%, Other Christian 1.3%, Other 0.05%
- Literacy Rate: 91.7% (2017 est.)
- Transport: Bandaranaike International Airport, extensive road network, railway system, Colombo Port
- Communications: Good telecommunications, 54% internet penetration, widespread mobile coverage
- Energy: Hydroelectric 39%, Oil 36%, Coal 22%, Other renewables 3%
- Countries Using This Currency: Sri Lanka
- Data Sources: Central Bank: Central Bank of Sri Lanka (cbsl.gov.lk), Economic Data: Department of Census and Statistics, World Bank, IMF, Trade Data: Sri Lanka Customs, Demographic Data: Department of Census and Statistics, Geographic Data: Department of Meteorology, Historical Data: Central Bank of Sri Lanka archives
- Last Updated: 2025