MigrantoImmigrants in Sri Lanka
38.7K foreign-born residents — the #168 largest immigrant population in the world
Where immigrants come from
The top 3 countries account for 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
Asia is the leading region of origin at 55%
21.1K
8.2K
7.4K
874
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460
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about immigration in Sri Lanka.
Immigration sources have diversified since 1990
The top source country's share fell from 98% to 28%, indicating a broader spread of origins.
Sri Lanka is a primary destination for emigrants from the Maldives
Sri Lanka attracts 51% of all emigrants from the Maldives, making it the leading destination for those leaving the country.
The share of immigrants from Asia has declined since 1990
The share of immigrants from Asia has shifted from 99.2% to 54.6% since 1990.
India is the leading source of immigration by a wide margin
India accounts for 28% of all immigrants, far ahead of the second-largest source at just 13%.
How immigration changed over time
Total immigrant population by year
| Year | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 39935 |
| 1995 | 39215 |
| 2000 | 38504 |
| 2005 | 37860 |
| 2010 | 37190 |
| 2015 | 37815 |
| 2020 | 38294 |
| 2024 | 38716 |
Top sources over time
Immigration from the 5 largest source countries
| Year | India | Italy | China | Kuwait | UAE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 origins
How immigration from each country has changed since the selected year
Sri Lanka as a destination, by diaspora
Share of each country's emigrants who settled in Sri Lanka
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many immigrants live in Sri Lanka?
Around 38.7K foreign-born residents live in Sri Lanka, making it the #168-largest immigrant population in the world.
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 foreign-born residents.
What share 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.
How has immigration to Sri Lanka changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the immigrant population in Sri Lanka has changed from 37.8K to 38.7K people, a change of about 2%.
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