Colombo, Feb. 27 (Daily Mirror) -
Sri Lanka is undergoing a brain drain crisis where a new study from the University of Peradeniya reveals that over 50 per cent of state university graduates, rising to 80-90 per cent in critical fields like medicine, engineering, and agriculture, are migrating permanently, never to return, according to a recent article by Ceylon Public Affairs.
The article which explores brain drain levels in 2025 mentions that the Sri Lankan government spends Rs. 87 billion yearly on university education in which many believe this has turned free education into a “development aid programme” for richer countries, with the best and brightest doctors, engineers, and scientists contributing to the economies of the West while Sri Lanka grapples with a 24.5 per cent poverty rate.
“Yearly, 42,000 undergraduates are educated across disciplines such as arts (25 per cent), management (20 per cent), engineering (13 per cent), and medicine (10 per cent). However, this system is inadvertently fuelling a migration of skilled workers. According to the University of Peradeniya study, the brightest graduates—those with science-based degrees—are leaving in droves, with migration rates exceeding 80 per cent in some departments.” Ceylon Public Affairs says.
Ceylon Public Affairs says that the reason for such high levels of brain drain is due to both economic and social realities. Low wages and high unemployment worsened by the country’s recent economic crisis, including a sovereign default and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that pushes graduates to seek opportunities abroad. Meanwhile, the private and public sectors in Sri Lanka struggle to offer salaries competitive with global markets, trapping the nation in what economists call the middle-income trap.
The consequences of this brain drain are profound. Sri Lanka’s healthcare and education systems are already under strain, with a shortage of doctors and university lecturers driving up pressure on remaining professionals.
According to the University of Peradeniya study, two controversial measures are suggested to recoup some of the public investment: requiring migrants to reimburse the government USD 10,000-15,000 per graduate or mandating USD 50,000 in remittances to their families. However, enforceability remains a significant hurdle.
