Primary education, pupils in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Primary education, pupils was 1.58 million in 2023. ▼ Falling
Primary education, pupils in Sri Lanka, 1970–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
In 2023, primary education, pupils in Sri Lanka stood at 1.58 million.
The figure is down 2.9% on the previous year and down 10.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in Sri Lanka peaked at 2.30 million in 1986 and was at its lowest, 1.44 million, in 1975.
That places Sri Lanka 75th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.63 million | 1.44 million | 2.00 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.15 million | 2.04 million | 2.30 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.98 million | 1.80 million | 2.11 million | 8 |
| 2000s | 1.65 million | 1.58 million | 1.77 million | 9 |
| 2010s | 1.75 million | 1.71 million | 1.78 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.64 million | 1.58 million | 1.69 million | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More education data for Sri Lanka
- Primary school starting age 5 years (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 10 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 65.8% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 21.7% (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 primary education, pupils in Sri Lanka?
- Primary education, pupils in Sri Lanka was 1.58 million in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 2.30 million in 1986.
- What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.44 million in 1975.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for primary education, pupils?
- Sri Lanka ranks 75th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Primary education, pupils. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.