Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR)
Rs · Official currency of Sri Lanka
LKR at a glance
Every fact on this page is drawn from Central Bank of Sri Lanka or another primary source — see the 8 sources cited below.
| Currency | Sri Lankan Rupee |
|---|---|
| ISO 4217 code | LKR · number 144 |
| Symbol | Rs |
| Minor unit | 1 LKR = 100 cent |
| Used in | 1 country or territory |
| Pegged to | Not pegged |
| Central bank | Central Bank of Sri Lanka |
| Official rates | Central Bank of Sri Lanka → |
| Introduced | 1950 |
Where the Sri Lankan Rupee is used
- Sri Lanka
Exchange rate regime Managed float
Sri Lanka operates a flexible exchange rate regime rather than a fixed peg. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka Act No. 16 of 2023 charges the Bank's Monetary Policy Board with implementing this flexible exchange rate regime alongside a flexible inflation targeting framework, and "determine and implement the exchange rate policy" is listed among the Central Bank's core functions, distinct from its price-stability and financial-system-stability objectives.
About the Sri Lankan Rupee
The Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR) is the official currency of Sri Lanka, issued by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Its symbol is Rs, and one rupee divides into 100 cents. Under the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Act No. 16 of 2023, the Bank's Monetary Policy Board implements a flexible exchange rate regime alongside a flexible inflation targeting framework, so the rupee floats rather than tracking a fixed peg. A separate Governing Board oversees the Bank's general administration, while the Act narrowed the Bank's core objectives to price stability and financial system stability in 2002.
The Dutch minted silver one-rupee coins for Ceylon in 1781 and 1786, and after 1884 the Board of Commissioners of Currency, a British colonial body, issued rupee banknotes from 1 up to 10,000 rupees. Ceylon gained independence in 1948, and on 28 August 1950 the Central Bank of Ceylon commenced operations under the Monetary Law Act No. 58 of 1949, ending the currency-board system and giving the country its own central bank.
The Central Bank of Ceylon was renamed the Central Bank of Sri Lanka in 1985, embarked on a modernisation programme in 2000, and in 2023 saw a new Central Bank of Sri Lanka Act replace the 1949 law to strengthen the institution's independence. Since the first post-independence note series appeared in 1951, eleven series of Sri Lankan rupee banknotes have been issued in total.
Cash today consists of the eleventh banknote series, themed "Development, Prosperity and Sri Lankan Dancers" and issued from 2010, in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 500, 1,000 and 5,000 rupees, each featuring a national landmark, a traditional dancer and an endemic bird or butterfly. Coins range from 1 cent up to 10 rupees, with the Re. 1, Rs. 2, Rs. 5 and Rs. 10 pieces renewed in a 2017 design series that circulates alongside earlier issues of the same denominations.
LKR coins & banknotes
- 1 cent
- 2 cents
- 5 cents
- 10 cents
- 25 cents
- 50 cents
- Re. 1
- Rs. 2
- Rs. 5
- Rs. 10
- Rs. 20
- Rs. 50
- Rs. 100
- Rs. 500
- Rs. 1,000
- Rs. 5,000
LKR quick facts
- The Central Bank of Ceylon was designed with technical assistance from John Exter, a US Federal Reserve economist, before it began operations in 1950.
- Sri Lanka's first post-independence banknote series, issued in 1951, was the King George VI series, comprising Rs 1 and Rs 10 notes.
- Ceylon's colonial currency board, the Board of Commissioners of Currency, issued rupee notes from 1884 to 1950, including a 10,000-rupee note.
- Ceylon's first banknotes, issued 10 May 1785, were denominated in Pathagas, nearly a century before rupee notes began circulating in 1884.
- The Central Bank of Sri Lanka holds the sole legal right to issue the country's currency, and maintains a Clean Note Policy for its banknotes.
LKR frequently asked questions
Is the Sri Lankan rupee pegged to another currency?
No. The Sri Lankan rupee floats under a flexible exchange rate regime rather than a fixed peg. Monetary policy is instead anchored by an inflation target: under the Monetary Policy Framework Agreement between Sri Lanka's Minister of Finance and the Central Bank, the target is 5% quarterly headline inflation, and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Act No. 16 of 2023 charges the Monetary Policy Board with implementing the flexible exchange rate regime in line with this framework.
What is the symbol for the Sri Lankan rupee?
The Sri Lankan rupee is written using the abbreviation Rs, with the ISO 4217 alphabetic code LKR and numeric code 144. One rupee divides into 100 cents. Circulating coins run from 1 cent up to 10 rupees, and the current eleventh banknote series, issued by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka from 2010 onward, covers denominations of 20, 50, 100, 500, 1,000 and 5,000 rupees.
Who issues the Sri Lankan rupee?
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka issues the rupee. It began operations as the Central Bank of Ceylon on 28 August 1950 under the Monetary Law Act No. 58 of 1949, ending the colonial currency-board system that the Board of Commissioners of Currency had run since 1884, and was renamed the Central Bank of Sri Lanka in 1985.
Explore LKR
Facts on this page are sourced from Central Bank of Sri Lanka and other primary references (8 sources). Rates are mid-market and for information only.
Sources for this LKR profile
8 primary sources behind the facts above, each listed with the sections of this page it is cited for. Links open on the publisher's own site.
- Central Bank of Sri Lanka www.cbsl.gov.lk/en/monetary-policy-2026 Cited for: Exchange rate regime · About · FAQ
- Central Bank of Sri Lanka www.cbsl.gov.lk/en/about/about-the-bank/functions Cited for: Exchange rate regime · About
- Central Bank of Sri Lanka www.cbsl.gov.lk/en/about/about-the-bank/overview Cited for: Exchange rate regime · About
- Central Bank of Sri Lanka www.cbsl.gov.lk/en/notes-coins/notes-and-coins/current-note-series Cited for: Coins & banknotes · About · FAQ
- Central Bank of Sri Lanka www.cbsl.gov.lk/en/notes-coins/notes-and-coins/coins-in-circulation Cited for: Coins & banknotes · About · FAQ
- Central Bank of Sri Lanka www.cbsl.gov.lk/en/notes-coins/notes-and-coins/currency-management Cited for: Minor unit · Quick facts
- Central Bank of Sri Lanka www.cbsl.gov.lk/en/about/about-the-bank/bank-history Cited for: Introduced · About · Quick facts · FAQ
- Central Bank of Sri Lanka www.cbsl.gov.lk/en/notes-coins/notes-and-coins/history-of-currency-in-sri-lanka Cited for: Introduced · About · Quick facts · FAQ