Minimum wage in Sri Lanka

A statutory national minimum wage

Sri Lanka has a national minimum wage written into an Act of Parliament, as a monthly and a daily amount. Changing it takes an amending Act.

Headline figure (from 1 January 2026)

30,000 LKR per month

Under the National Minimum Wage of Workers (Amendment) Act, No. 11 of 2025. The daily amount is 1,200 LKR.

Roughly US$91 a month for a full-time worker, at exchange rates of 2026-10-09. This is a rough comparison only and does not show buying power.

Checked October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Check the date. Minimum wages change, in many countries every year. The figure above is the one in force at the date shown. Confirm the current amount with the official source below before you rely on it. This is general information, not legal or employment advice.

Who sets it

The National Minimum Wage of Workers Act sets the amounts, and Parliament changes them by passing an amending Act. The 2025 amendment set two stages and folded the old budgetary relief allowances into the minimum.

How it changes

The amounts change only when Parliament amends the Act. The 2025 amendment fixed one amount for 2025 and a higher one from 1 January 2026.

Who is covered, and who is treated differently

The amounts apply to workers covered by the Act, in a monthly and a daily form.
The former budgetary relief allowances are now part of the minimum wage and are no longer paid on top.

What to watch for

Check the Department of Labour for the current notice and for who is covered.

Understand the legal system first

Sri Lanka belongs to the Mixed: civil and common law family. How pay is regulated depends on how the legal system makes and applies labour law.

Read the Sri Lanka legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Compare Sri Lanka with another country →

Official sources

Take it further

Employment Offer Letter template $5
A clear offer of work, pay and terms.
Independent Contractor Agreement template $5
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Labor and Employment Law course $15
Wages, hours, contracts and dismissal.

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TheLawToKnow Tools’s Minimum Wage by Country guide is an educational overview. It is not legal or employment advice, and it does not replace the official source or a lawyer in the country. Report a mistake.