Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male was 552,974 in 2024. ▬ Flat
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Sri Lanka, 2001–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Sri Lanka is 552,974, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 7.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Sri Lanka peaked at 580,570 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 514,289, in 2016.
That places Sri Lanka 24th out of 59 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 542,794 | — |
| 2006 | 534,340 | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 574,540 | +7.5% |
| 2010 | 553,954 | -3.6% |
| 2016 | 514,289 | -7.2% |
| 2017 | 557,786 | +8.5% |
| 2018 | 580,570 | +4.1% |
| 2019 | 565,778 | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 551,138 | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 552,153 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 557,244 | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 554,006 | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 552,974 | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 550,558 | 534,340 | 574,540 | 3 |
| 2010s | 554,475 | 514,289 | 580,570 | 5 |
| 2020s | 553,503 | 551,138 | 557,244 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More education data for Sri Lanka
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 224,799 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 214,300 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.54 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.58 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -2.89 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0715 units per person (2023)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Sri Lanka?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Sri Lanka was 552,974 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 580,570 in 2018.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 514,289 in 2016.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male?
- Sri Lanka ranks 24th out of 59 countries with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release