MigrantoImmigrants in Sri Lanka
38.7K foreigners live in Sri Lanka — 0% of the country's population
Immigrants in Sri Lanka by country
The 3 largest groups make up 48% of all immigrants
| Country | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| India | 10957 |
| Italy | 5226 |
| China | 2509 |
| Kuwait | 1772 |
| UAE | 1707 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1432 |
| Maldives | 1424 |
| United Kingdom | 1205 |
| Pakistan | 1095 |
| Malaysia | 935 |
| Japan | 857 |
| Lebanon | 749 |
| Bangladesh | 680 |
| USA | 620 |
| Singapore | 619 |
| South Korea | 618 |
| Germany | 566 |
| Australia | 479 |
| Bahrain | 406 |
| Nepal | 347 |
| Oman | 335 |
| Indonesia | 327 |
| France | 303 |
| Switzerland | 293 |
| Thailand | 279 |
| Jordan | 279 |
| Qatar | 278 |
| South Africa | 265 |
| Cyprus | 254 |
| Canada | 254 |
| Bhutan | 236 |
| Russia | 152 |
| Afghanistan | 133 |
| Egypt | 132 |
| Sweden | 131 |
| Norway | 118 |
| New Zealand | 112 |
| Iran | 105 |
| Greece | 90 |
| Syria | 73 |
| Finland | 61 |
| Israel | 55 |
| Turkey | 44 |
| Libya | 39 |
| Iraq | 39 |
| Haiti | 36 |
| Spain | 34 |
| Portugal | 32 |
| Seychelles | 24 |
By region of origin
55% of immigrants come from Asia
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Key facts
Immigrants in Sri Lanka in numbers
Immigrants come from a wider range of countries than in 1990
The largest group's share fell from 98% to 28%.
51% of all emigrants from the Maldives live in Sri Lanka
No other country has more people born in the Maldives.
The share of immigrants from Asia has declined since 1990
99.2% of immigrants came from Asia in 1990, compared with 54.6% today.
Indians are the largest group by a wide margin
28% of all immigrants were born in India, while the next group accounts for just 13%.
The map of origins has changed since 1990
3 countries have entered the top 20 origins since 1990: Italy, Bahrain, Nepal. Italy climbed from outside the top 20 to #2.
Immigrant population in Sri Lanka over time
Foreigners living in Sri Lanka, by year
| Year | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 39935 |
| 1995 | 39215 |
| 2000 | 38504 |
| 2005 | 37860 |
| 2010 | 37190 |
| 2015 | 37815 |
| 2020 | 38294 |
| 2024 | 38716 |
Largest groups over time
The 5 largest groups in Sri Lanka, by year
| Year | Indians | Italians | Chinese | Kuwaitis | Emiratis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 39329 | 3 | 37 | 20 | 19 |
| 1995 | 35506 | 637 | 312 | 224 | 215 |
| 2000 | 31618 | 1273 | 588 | 430 | 413 |
| 2005 | 24499 | 2571 | 1153 | 849 | 816 |
| 2010 | 10529 | 5236 | 2312 | 1711 | 1645 |
| 2015 | 10658 | 5096 | 2447 | 1731 | 1665 |
| 2020 | 10837 | 5168 | 2481 | 1753 | 1688 |
| 2024 | 10957 | 5226 | 2509 | 1772 | 1707 |
Fastest-changing groups
How each group's numbers have changed since the selected year
Share of each diaspora living in Sri Lanka
Of each group's emigrants worldwide, the share who live in Sri Lanka
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many foreigners live in Sri Lanka?
Around 38.7K immigrants live in Sri Lanka — the world's #168 largest immigrant population.
What percentage of the population of Sri Lanka are immigrants?
Immigrants make up around 0% of the population of Sri Lanka — that's 38.7K out of a total population of 21.9M.
Where do most immigrants in Sri Lanka come from?
Most immigrants in Sri Lanka come from India, Italy and China — these three countries account for about 48% of all immigrants.
How many Indians live in Sri Lanka?
Around 11K Indians live in Sri Lanka — about 28% of all immigrants, the largest group.
Is the immigrant population in Sri Lanka growing?
Barely — over the past decade, the number of immigrants in Sri Lanka has changed from 37.8K to 38.7K, about 2%.
Where does the data on immigrants in Sri Lanka come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born abroad who now live in Sri Lanka. Their children born in Sri Lanka are not included.
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Living in Sri Lanka
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