MigrantoSri Lankan Diaspora
1.5M Sri Lankans live abroad — 7% of the population of Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 39% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| India | 253869 |
| Qatar | 161747 |
| United Kingdom | 160178 |
| Australia | 156876 |
| Canada | 140870 |
| UAE | 112759 |
| Italy | 95118 |
| Saudi Arabia | 83297 |
| France | 56880 |
| Japan | 49037 |
| Kuwait | 42384 |
| Switzerland | 37483 |
| Oman | 30611 |
| New Zealand | 20823 |
| South Korea | 16851 |
| Bahrain | 11369 |
| Norway | 10598 |
| Cyprus | 10425 |
| Sweden | 9514 |
| Denmark | 8218 |
| Maldives | 7912 |
| Malaysia | 3310 |
| Brunei | 1439 |
| Finland | 1351 |
| Mauritius | 1147 |
| Botswana | 1043 |
| Greece | 960 |
| Israel | 879 |
| Hong Kong | 843 |
| Seychelles | 619 |
| Pakistan | 539 |
| Libya | 413 |
| Indonesia | 396 |
| China | 378 |
| South Africa | 358 |
| Iceland | 287 |
| Latvia | 159 |
| North Korea | 157 |
| Nauru | 155 |
| Luxembourg | 98 |
| Portugal | 97 |
| Hungary | 87 |
| Malta | 85 |
| Papua New Guinea | 78 |
| Lithuania | 64 |
| Estonia | 63 |
| Cambodia | 51 |
| Bahamas | 42 |
| Nepal | 41 |
| Bhutan | 34 |
| Bulgaria | 28 |
| Slovakia | 26 |
| Ghana | 23 |
| Slovenia | 22 |
| Liechtenstein | 9 |
| Bolivia | 2 |
| Costa Rica | 1 |
| Guinea | 0 |
| Lebanon | 0 |
By region
30% of the diaspora lives in the Middle East
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Key facts
The Sri Lankan diaspora in numbers
The community in Japan is growing fastest
The number of Sri Lankans living in Japan has grown 289% since 2015, from 12.6K to 49K.
The diaspora is spread more widely than in 1990
The largest country's share fell from 54% to 17%.
The share of the diaspora living in Asia has declined since 1990
55.6% of the diaspora lived in Asia in 1990, compared with 22.4% today.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
3 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Qatar, Japan, South Korea. Qatar climbed from outside the top 20 to #2.
1 in 15 people born in Sri Lanka lives abroad
1.5M people born in Sri Lanka now live in other countries — 6.8% of a population of 21.9M.
Sri Lankan diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 843476 |
| 1995 | 721651 |
| 2000 | 786520 |
| 2005 | 910507 |
| 2010 | 1108466 |
| 2015 | 1246445 |
| 2020 | 1409777 |
| 2024 | 1492103 |
Largest communities over time
Sri Lankans living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | India | Qatar | United Kingdom | Australia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 457662 | 648 | 37243 | 42523 | 21567 |
| 1995 | 287440 | 879 | 49372 | 51943 | 42181 |
| 2000 | 253567 | 1197 | 64921 | 58427 | 78755 |
| 2005 | 243750 | 12174 | 89047 | 70602 | 103483 |
| 2010 | 267883 | 32316 | 123503 | 96257 | 130666 |
| 2015 | 248749 | 67780 | 138622 | 119760 | 134844 |
| 2020 | 248065 | 151019 | 150722 | 140771 | 135949 |
| 2024 | 253869 | 161747 | 160178 | 156876 | 140870 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Sri Lankans in each country has changed since the selected year
Sri Lankans among immigrants in other countries
Where Sri Lankans make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Sri Lankans live outside Sri Lanka?
Around 1.5M Sri Lankans live abroad, the world's #53 largest diaspora.
Where do most Sri Lankans abroad live?
Most Sri Lankans live in India, Qatar and United Kingdom — these three countries account for about 39% of all Sri Lankans living abroad.
Which country has the largest Sri Lankan population outside Sri Lanka?
India is home to the largest Sri Lankan community abroad — 253.9K people, about 17% of all Sri Lankans living abroad.
What share of the population of Sri Lanka lives abroad?
About 7% of the population of Sri Lanka lives abroad — that's 1.5M out of a total population of 21.9M.
Is the Sri Lankan diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Sri Lankans living abroad has grown from 1.2M to 1.5M, about 20%.
Where does the data on the Sri Lankan diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Sri Lanka who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
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Living in Sri Lanka
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