Sri Lanka s brain drain: New study reveals shocking results

A on going study by University of Peradeniya study reveals that 50%+ of state university graduates in some disciplines are migrating permanently, never returning to Sri Lanka.  In the worst-hit departments, the migration rate hits 80-90% while taxpayers foot a Rs. 87 billion annual bill.

 Sri Lanka has 142,000 undergraduates currently in state universities, 44,000 new enrollments annually

- 25% Arts

- 20% Management & Commerce

- 13% Engineering

- 10% Medical/Health

- 11% Agriculture etc

 According 2023 Data, Government spent Rs. 87 billion on university education.

Most who migrate are the best graduates who secure highest performance at university level with Science-based degrees seeing "almost all students leaving" along with Agriculture and Engineering - precisely the skills Sri Lanka needs most

Study recommends migrants reimburse government USD 10,000-15,000 per graduate, or alternatively send USD 50,000 to family in Sri Lanka to recover portion of public investment - but enforceability remains questionable

Researchers acknowledge the contradiction: can't force graduates to stay due to unemployment and low wages, parents actively support migration, and private/government sector salaries can't compete with overseas opportunities - classic middle-income country trap

Study suggests "making entrepreneurs from university education" but this requires startup ecosystem development, access to capital, market opportunities, regulatory reforms, and cultural shift toward risk-taking.

Sri Lanka's free education system has inadvertently become a development aid program for other countries, with billions in taxpayer investment flowing overseas through skilled migration. Until the nation can create economic conditions that make staying as attractive as leaving, this costly export of human capital will continue unabated.

(Source: Prof. Wasantha Athukorala and Laksman Kumara at the University of Peradeniya vis Dailymirror)

- Numbers.lk -