A total of 211,666 Sri Lankan workers left the country for foreign employment in the first nine months of 2026, the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) said.
Of these, 141,916 went abroad through their own arrangements and 69,750 through foreign employment agencies.
The SLBFE said the departures included 134,761 men and 76,905 women, and 108,343 of the workers were classed as skilled.
September had the highest number of departures of any month this year so far, at 29,752 workers.
The bureau also said worker remittances totalled USD 6,131 million in the first eight months of 2026. Remittances from Sri Lankans working overseas are a major source of foreign currency for the country and support the rupee.
The SLBFE has not yet released figures for October.
