Sri Lanka’s PMI for January expands

Sri Lanka’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for January 2026 recorded growth in both manufacturing and services sectors.

The latest report of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) indicated that the Manufacturing PMI climbed to 56.1 in January while the Services PMI reached 64.5.

This reflects a month-on-month expansion in manufacturing activities at a slower rate compared to the seasonal peak in December 2025, the CBSL said in a statement. All the sub-indices remained above the neutral threshold during the month. Meanwhile, the New Orders and Production remained expanded in January.

Meanwhile, PMI for Services recorded an index value of 64.5 in January 2026, indicating a slower expansion in services activities compared to the previous month.

The expansion in Business Activities was driven by the improvements observed across most of the sectors. The CBSL said the growth was driven by strong performance in wholesale and retail trade, and accommodation, food and beverage service activities.

Additionally, business activities related to financial services also continued to improve, underpinned by increased lending activity, the Central Bank added.