Is Sri Lanka Losing its Youth to Migration?

Sri Lanka faces a dual demographic challenge involving a shrinking birth rate and high migration rates among the skilled youth population. Anushka presented data from the 2024 Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) population census, highlighting a significant “bulge” in younger cohorts. The 10 to 24 age cohort contains 5.1 million people, with 1.8 million aged 15–19 and 1.7 million aged 10–14. A massive divergence appears after age 19; while birth numbers suggest higher populations, actual census figures show a sharp decline in older cohorts, such as only 1.3 million in the 25–29 range. Anushka noted that net migration reached a negative 30,000 in 2025, exceeding levels seen during the height of the economic crisis. The discussion addressed falling fertility rates rather than declining marriage rates. Anushka observed that the mean age for a mother’s first childbirth rose from approximately 28 in 2007 to 29 in 2019, indicating delayed childbearing or opting out of parenthood entirely.