USD to LKR Exchange Rate History — Sri Lanka
This page charts the historical USD to Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR) parallel — or "black market" — exchange rate in Sri Lanka. As new readings are collected they appear in the chart and tables below, building a record of how the street price of the dollar has moved over time.
Sri Lanka's 2022 crisis opened a sharp gap between official and street rupee rates that still shapes the market today.
How to read the LKR rate history
The chart plots the parallel buy rate — how many LKR it took to buy one US dollar — at each point we recorded. The daily table below lists the closing buy and sell rate for each day, while the monthly table summarises the average, high and low for each month, which is useful for comparing one period with another.
A rising line means the Sri Lankan Rupee is losing value (more LKR per dollar); a falling line means it is gaining.
What has moved the Sri Lankan Rupee recently?
In Sri Lanka, the parallel rate is driven by factors such as the 2022 economic crisis and default, import restrictions, reserve shortages. When dollars become scarcer or confidence falls, the street rate climbs ahead of the official Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) rate; when supply improves or policy tightens, the gap can narrow again.
Because the parallel rate often moves before official devaluations, its history is a useful early-warning record — a steadily rising trend frequently precedes an official adjustment, while a long plateau suggests relative stability.
Using historical LKR rates
Historical rates help with budgeting, invoicing, remittance planning and spotting trends, but they are not a forecast — past movements do not guarantee future ones. For the live rate, see our main USD to LKR page, and use the converter for exact amounts.
All figures are aggregated from P2P platforms, community reports and market monitoring, then refreshed hourly. They are provided for information and price-transparency only and are not financial advice.