Children out of school, primary in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Children out of school, primary was 157,499 in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Children out of school, primary in Sri Lanka, 1977–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for children out of school, primary in Sri Lanka is 157,499, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 16.3% on the previous year and up 3,184.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, children out of school, primary in Sri Lanka peaked at 359,350 in 1977 and was at its lowest, 3,098, in 2018.
Sri Lanka ranks 45th of 197 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 359,350 | 359,350 | 359,350 | 1 |
| 1980s | 36,193 | 36,193 | 36,193 | 1 |
| 2000s | 116,900 | 54,134 | 156,822 | 9 |
| 2010s | 66,856 | 3,098 | 134,633 | 10 |
| 2020s | 85,171 | 13,116 | 157,499 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More education data for Sri Lanka
- Population ages 15-64 65.8% (2025)
- Primary school starting age 5 years (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 21.7% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 10 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 91.5% (2023)
- Primary education, teachers 73,333 (2023)
- School enrollment, primary, female 92.1% (2023)
- School enrollment, primary, male 90.8% (2023)
- Labor force, total 8.26 million (2025)
- Labor force, female 33.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is children out of school, primary in Sri Lanka?
- Children out of school, primary in Sri Lanka was 157,499 in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest children out of school, primary recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 359,350 in 1977.
- What is the lowest children out of school, primary recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,098 in 2018.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for children out of school, primary?
- Sri Lanka ranks 45th out of 197 countries with data for 2023.
- Is children out of school, primary rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3,184.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Children out of school, primary. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Children out of school are the number of primary-school-age children not enrolled in primary or secondary school.