“Sri Lanka Socio Economic Data – 2022”, the annually published data folder of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, is now available for public information. The current data folder is the 45th volume of the series.

This easy-to-carry booklet contains information categorised under 14 topics, namely, Country Profile; Key Economic Indicators; Country Comparisons; Socio Economic Conditions; Human Resources; National Accounts; Agriculture; Industry; Economic and Social Infrastructure; Prices and Wages; External Trade and Tourism; External Finance; Government Finance; and Money, Banking and Finance. As the data folder presents a wide range of socio economic data of current interest in summary form, it will be a very useful reference material for policy makers, researchers, academics, professionals, students and the general public.

Earnings from exports remained robust in September 2022, while import expenditure declined for the seventh consecutive month, on a year-on-year basis, reflecting the significant reduction in imports of non-food consumer goods and investment goods. As a result, the merchandise trade deficit recorded a notable contraction in September 2022, (y-o-y). Workers’ remittances increased marginally in September 2022, (y-o-y). Earnings from tourism recorded an increase in September 2022, compared to the same period in 2021. Foreign investment in the government securities market and the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) recorded a notable net inflow during September 2022. The Central Bank continued to provide forex liquidity to finance essential imports, exhausting the liquid level of gross official reserves. Meanwhile, the weighted average spot exchange rate in the interbank market remained around Rs. 362 per US dollar during the month.