Who moves to Sri Lanka
38.7K people have chosen Sri Lanka for relocation — #168 most popular destination worldwide
Considering a move to Sri Lanka? — See where people come from, regional patterns, and how it's changed since 1990.
Where immigrants come from
The top 3 countries account for 48% of all immigrants
| Country | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| India | 10957 |
| Italy | 5226 |
| China | 2509 |
| Kuwait | 1772 |
| United Arab Emirates | 1707 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1432 |
| Maldives | 1424 |
| United Kingdom | 1205 |
| Pakistan | 1095 |
| Malaysia | 935 |
| Japan | 857 |
| Lebanon | 749 |
| Bangladesh | 680 |
| United States | 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 |
| Türkiye | 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
591
460
36
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 | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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