Among the more than three million district-wise migrant population, 40.6 percent moved to Colombo (16.7%) and Gampaha (16.8%) districts due to marriage, according to the latest report by the Department of Census and Statistics.
The latest census conducted in 2024 shows that the total migrant population stands at 3,167,263, with 40.6 percent (1,285,909) relocating mainly for marital reasons. Other significant drivers include employment or job search (17.1%), family needs (16.2%), and returning to permanent residence (11.3%). Migration for education accounted for 6.5%, while resettlement following displacement was 3.3%. Smaller percentages moved due to disasters (1.6%), development projects (1.3%), and religious purposes (2.1%).
Regionally, marriage dominated migration in the Northern Province’s Mullaitivu District and eight other provinces, with over 25% of migrants citing it. Employment-driven migration was highest in Colombo (37.5%) and Gampaha (26.1%), while Trincomalee District saw the largest proportion moving for family reasons (22.6%). Vavuniya and Mullaitivu also reported notable migration due to family needs (19.6% each).
Jaffna District recorded the highest percentage of people returning to permanent residence (25.4%), while education-related migration was most prominent in Batticaloa (25.3%), Colombo (11.8%), and Kandy (10.6%). In the Northern Province, resettlement after displacement was the main factor in Kilinochchi (49.0%), Mannar (45.5%), and Jaffna (40.8%).
Natural disasters prompted migration in Vavuniya (16.5%) and Mullaitivu (11.7%), while development projects influenced relocation in Ampara (13.3%) and Polonnaruwa (11.8%).
The data highlights marriage as the predominant driver of migration, while work, family needs, education, and resettlement shape migration patterns across Sri Lanka’s districts.
(Source - Dailymirror)
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