Internally displaced people due to conflict in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Internally displaced people due to conflict was 4,099 people in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
4,099 people
Change on year
down 14.7%
World rank
37th
of 205 countries
All-time high
731,838 people
in 2001
All-time low
4,099 people
in 2025
Years of data
33
1993–2025
Internally displaced people due to conflict in Sri Lanka, 1993–2025
Source: UNHCR (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2025, internally displaced people due to conflict in Sri Lanka stood at 4,099 people. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
The figure is down 14.7% on the previous year and down 90.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, internally displaced people due to conflict in Sri Lanka peaked at 731,838 people in 2001 and was at its lowest, 4,099 people, in 2025.
That places Sri Lanka 37th out of 205 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Internally displaced people due to conflict in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 29,400 people | — |
| 1994 | 9,090 people | -69.1% |
| 1995 | 200,000 people | +2100.2% |
| 1996 | 200,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 200,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 603,025 people | +201.5% |
| 1999 | 612,518 people | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 706,514 people | +15.3% |
| 2001 | 731,838 people | +3.6% |
| 2002 | 462,826 people | -36.8% |
| 2003 | 386,104 people | -16.6% |
| 2004 | 351,884 people | -8.9% |
| 2005 | 324,699 people | -7.7% |
| 2006 | 469,165 people | +44.5% |
| 2007 | 459,567 people | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 504,800 people | +9.8% |
| 2009 | 434,900 people | -13.8% |
| 2010 | 273,772 people | -37.0% |
| 2011 | 138,401 people | -49.4% |
| 2012 | 93,482 people | -32.5% |
| 2013 | 42,191 people | -54.9% |
| 2014 | 30,847 people | -26.9% |
| 2015 | 44,934 people | +45.7% |
| 2016 | 39,730 people | -11.6% |
| 2017 | 39,322 people | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 35,473 people | -9.8% |
| 2019 | 25,110 people | -29.2% |
| 2020 | 25,013 people | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 8,767 people | -65.0% |
| 2022 | 8,540 people | -2.6% |
| 2023 | 4,806 people | -43.7% |
| 2024 | 4,806 people | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 4,099 people | -14.7% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Internally displaced people due to conflict in Sri Lanka changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +2100.2% | 9,090 people | 200,000 people |
| 1998 | +201.5% | 200,000 people | 603,025 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 264,862 people | 9,090 people | 612,518 people | 7 |
| 2000s | 483,230 people | 324,699 people | 731,838 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 76,326 people | 25,110 people | 273,772 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 9,338 people | 4,099 people | 25,013 people | 6 |
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More social development data for Sri Lanka
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 213 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 148,369 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 3 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 3 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0068 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 148,369 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is internally displaced people due to conflict in Sri Lanka?
- Internally displaced people due to conflict in Sri Lanka was 4,099 people in 2025, according to UNHCR (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest internally displaced people due to conflict recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 731,838 people in 2001.
- What is the lowest internally displaced people due to conflict recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,099 people in 2025.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for internally displaced people due to conflict?
- Sri Lanka ranks 37th out of 205 countries with data for 2025.
- Is internally displaced people due to conflict rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 90.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from UNHCR (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Internally displaced people due to conflict. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
People who were forced to leave their homes due to armed conflict or violence.