Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female was 58.7% in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
58.7%
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
55th
of 87 countries
All-time high
66.6%
in 1981
All-time low
58.7%
in 2018
Years of data
8
1981–2018

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Sri Lanka, 1981–2018

02040601981199920181981: 66.62001: 592006: 61.22008: 60.12010: 59.42016: 59.12017: 58.92018: 58.7

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

Sri Lanka recorded 58.7% for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in 2018. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 2.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Sri Lanka peaked at 66.6% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 58.7%, in 2018.

Sri Lanka ranks 55th of 87 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Sri Lanka, year by year

Annual values for Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Sri Lanka, 1981 to 2018.
Year Value Change
1981 66.6%
2001 59.0% -11.3%
2006 61.2% +3.7%
2008 60.1% -1.9%
2010 59.4% -1.2%
2016 59.1% -0.5%
2017 58.9% -0.3%
2018 58.7% -0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 66.6% 66.6% 66.6% 1
2000s 60.1% 59.0% 61.2% 3
2010s 59.0% 58.7% 59.4% 4

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 52 Albania 59.6% compare
  2. 53 Egypt 59.4% compare
  3. 54 Rwanda 59.2% compare
  4. 56 Mali 58.6% compare
  5. 57 Burkina Faso 58.3% compare
  6. 58 Ethiopia 58.1% compare

See the full ranking of 126 places →

More education data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Sri Lanka?
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Sri Lanka was 58.7% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 66.6% in 1981.
What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 58.7% in 2018.
How does Sri Lanka rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female?
Sri Lanka ranks 55th out of 87 countries with data for 2018.
Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
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, % female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Sri Lanka. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-percent-female/sri-lanka/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
126 places, 2,267 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Share of the adult illiterate population (age 15+) that is female.