The Sri Lankan-born population in Australia has risen to an estimated 184,800 by mid-2025, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), reflecting continued post-pandemic growth.
The figure marks an increase from 172,800 recorded in June 2024 and 158,300 in June 2023. Over the past decade, the community has grown from just over 110,000 in 2013 — an expansion of close to 70%.
Sri Lanka now ranks among the top 10 overseas-born populations in Australia, sitting just ahead of Malaysia-born residents and several other migrant communities. India-born residents form the largest overseas-born group, followed by those born in England.
The ABS data does not break down internal trends — student migration, skilled visa intake or family reunification — but the steady climb tracks with Australia’s continued openness to South Asian skilled and student migration, and with sustained outbound flows from Sri Lanka through the post-2022 economic crisis years.
Australia is also a frequent destination for Sri Lankan students and professionals, and a major source of remittances. The diaspora has been politically visible in recent months, with the Australian Federal Police and AUSTRAC channels prominent in the Treasury cyber-fraud investigation involving a misdirected $2.5 million payment to an Australian export-finance counterparty.
Source: Newswire.
