Sri Lanka: Internally displaced persons, new displacement associated with disasters (number of cases)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Sri Lanka's internally displaced persons, new displacement associated with disasters (number of cases) rose 54.5% on 2022 (from 11,000 to 17,000).

Across the 14 yearly changes before that (2009 to 2022), the average change was +83.4% and a typical year strayed about 253.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 657.6% in 2016 and the biggest yearly fall was 90.9% in 2022. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 25% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Sri Lanka had the 54th highest value of the 90 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Sri Lanka in the 2023 ranking

• Algeria — 51st of 90: 23,000
• Burundi — 52nd of 90: 21,000
• South Africa — 53rd of 90: 20,000
• Chad — 55th of 90: 16,000
• Ecuador — 56th of 90: 16,000
• Paraguay — 57th of 90: 16,000

What this measures

Internally displaced persons are defined according to the 1998 Guiding Principles (http://www.internal-displacement.org/publications/1998/ocha-guiding-principles-on-internal-displacement) as people or groups of people who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of armed conflict, or to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights, or natural or human-made disasters and who have not crossed an international border. "New Displacement" refers to the number of new cases or incidents of displacement recorded over the specified year, rather than the number of people displaced. This is done because people may have been displaced more than once.

Limitations: Please note that most of the figures are estimates. The definition highlights two issues: 1) The coercive or otherwise involuntary character of movement. The definition mentions some of the most common causes of involuntary movements, such as armed conflict, violence, human rights violations and disasters. These causes have in common that they give no choice to people but to leave their homes and deprive them of the most essential protection mechanisms, such as community networks, access to services, livelihoods. Displacement severely affects the physical, socio-economic and legal safety of people and should be systematically regarded as an indicator of potential vulnerability.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 16 values

Internally displaced persons, new displacement associated with disasters (number of cases) in nearby economies

• Bangladesh — 1.79 million (2023)
• India — 528,000 (2023)
• Nepal — 110,000 (2023)

More public sector data for Sri Lanka

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 1.39 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 418.25 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 1.31% (2025)
• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 11 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 4.92% (2025)
• Net acquisition of financial assets (current LCU) — 234.09 billion (2023)
• Net acquisition of financial assets (% of GDP) — 0.85% (2023)
• Net incurrence of liabilities, total (current LCU) — 2.77 trillion (2023)
• Net incurrence of liabilities, total (% of GDP) — 10.07% (2023)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Sri Lanka's internally displaced persons, new displacement associated with disasters (number of cases)?

17,000 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2008?

It is down 96.76% from 525,000 in 2008 (20.44% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 685,000 in 2011 and the lowest 11,000 in 2022.

How does Sri Lanka rank?

54th highest of 90 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in internally displaced persons, new displacement associated with disasters (number of cases) unusual for Sri Lanka?

In 2023, Sri Lanka's internally displaced persons, new displacement associated with disasters (number of cases) rose 54.5% on 2022 (from 11,000 to 17,000). Across the 14 yearly changes before that (2009 to 2022), the average change was +83.4% and a typical year strayed about 253.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator VC.IDP.NWDS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), uri: http://www.internal-displacement.org/ Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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