672,249 Sri Lankans have moved abroad for temporary reasons and are currently living in other countries, and 86 percent of them went for employment, according to census data cited at a forum in Badulla.
The figures were quoted by Poorani Radhakrishnan, Analyst for Population and Data at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), drawing on the 2024 census conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics.
“It is not possible to stop the brain drain, but it is possible to provide opportunities for them so that they could make a choice,” Radhakrishnan said.
What the number is and is not
The count covers temporary migration — people recorded as living abroad but not permanently resettled — rather than the full diaspora. That the overwhelming majority left for work places the figure alongside Sri Lanka’s foreign employment and remittance picture rather than its emigration one, and Radhakrishnan’s framing shifts the policy question away from restricting departures and towards making staying a viable option.
The data itself is not new: it comes from the 2024 census, and was presented here as part of a briefing rather than as a fresh release.
The forum
UNFPA is running a three-day programme for journalists from across Sri Lanka in Badulla. It is intended to strengthen media understanding of the needs of women, girls, young people and pregnant women during emergencies, disasters and humanitarian situations, and to build awareness of access to sexual and reproductive health services and information.
The programme also covers population data and demographic trends, including the findings of the 2024 census, and includes field engagements on UNFPA’s response to Cyclone Ditwah. Responsible reporting on disaster-affected people, and protecting their privacy, is among the themes.
