Outstanding balances on credit cards issued by licensed commercial banks in Sri Lanka rose to Rs. 175,712 million by the end of December 2025, according to the latest data released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

This marks an increase from Rs. 157,957 million recorded at end-December 2024, reflecting a rise of Rs. 17,755 million or 11.24% year-on-year.

A breakdown of the data shows that balances on cards accepted globally accounted for the bulk of outstanding amounts, increasing to Rs. 136,220 million by end-2025, up from Rs. 123,110 million a year earlier. Meanwhile, locally accepted cards recorded outstanding balances of Rs. 39,492 million, compared with Rs. 34,847 million at end-2024.

The number of active credit cards also continued to expand. Total active cards reached 2,166,186 by end-December 2025, up from 2,008,456 a year earlier. Of this total, globally accepted cards accounted for 2,157,271, while locally accepted cards stood at 8,915.

The data indicates continued growth in both credit card usage and outstanding balances, suggesting sustained consumer reliance on card-based payments.