School enrollment, primary in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: School enrollment, primary was 91.5% in 2023. ▼ Falling
School enrollment, primary in Sri Lanka, 1970–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % gross.
Analysis
In 2023, school enrollment, primary in Sri Lanka stood at 91.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.6% on the previous year and down 5.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school enrollment, primary in Sri Lanka peaked at 123.7% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 83.2%, in 1976.
That places Sri Lanka 171st out of 205 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 96.4% | 83.2% | 114.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 117.9% | 106.8% | 123.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 114.0% | 107.3% | 120.0% | 8 |
| 2000s | 95.8% | 92.2% | 102.9% | 9 |
| 2010s | 96.9% | 95.5% | 97.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 93.5% | 91.5% | 95.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More education data for Sri Lanka
- Population ages 0-14 21.7% (2025)
- Primary school starting age 5 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 65.8% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 10 years (2025)
- Primary education, teachers 73,333 (2023)
- School enrollment, primary, female 92.1% (2023)
- School enrollment, primary, male 90.8% (2023)
- Labor force, female 33.4% (2025)
- Labor force, total 8.26 million (2025)
- School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index 1 GPI (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school enrollment, primary in Sri Lanka?
- School enrollment, primary in Sri Lanka was 91.5% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest school enrollment, primary recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 123.7% in 1985.
- What is the lowest school enrollment, primary recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 83.2% in 1976.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for school enrollment, primary?
- Sri Lanka ranks 171st out of 205 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school enrollment, primary rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.9%. 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 School enrollment, primary (% gross). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Primary education provides children with basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills along with an elementary understanding of such subjects as history, geography, natural science, social science, art, and music.