LRS outward remittances fall 4.1% in Apr-Dec FY26 on lower travel spend

Outward remittances under RBI's LRS fell 4.12% YoY in Apr-Dec FY26 to $21.36 bn as travel and education spends moderated, though remittances for investments and property purchases surged

Outward remittances under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) moderated to 4.12 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) in April-December period of financial year (FY26) to $21.36 billion due to moderation in remittances for overseas travel and education. However, the rise in overseas investment bucked the trend.

 

In April-December of FY25 the outward remittances stood at $22.28 billion. The LRS remittances slipped 2.26 per cent Y-o-Y to $2.26 billion in December 2025, as against $2.3 billion in December 2024, latest RBI data showed. 

According to the monthly data, international travel, which accounted for close to 60 per cent of the entire outward remittance by Indians under the scheme, dropped 4.9 per cent Y-o-Y to $12.37 billion, as compared to $13.01 billion in the same period of FY25. Remittances for overseas education dropped by 22.35 per cent Y-o-Y to $1.71 billion from $2.20 billion last year. However, remittances for investment in equity/debt rose by 89.10 per cent Y-o-Y to $1.77 billion from $934.4 million. While, purchase of immovable property related remittances was up by 106.52 per cent Y-o-Y to $381.32 million and for deposits it was up by 25.93 per cent Y-o-Y to $471.22 million. 

As per the LRS scheme introduced in 2004, all resident individuals, including minors, are allowed to remit up to $250,000 per financial year for any permissible current or capital account transaction or a combination of both. Initially, the scheme was introduced with a limit of $25,000. The LRS limit has been revised in stages consistent with the prevailing macro and micro economic conditions.