Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male was 93.5% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Sri Lanka, 1981–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Sri Lanka is 93.5%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 0.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Sri Lanka peaked at 93.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 91.3%, in 1981.
That places Sri Lanka 44th out of 88 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 91.3% | — |
| 2001 | 92.3% | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 92.7% | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 92.2% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 92.6% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 93.5% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 93.5% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 93.5% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 93.0% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 92.8% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 93.0% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 93.3% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 93.3% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 93.3% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 93.5% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 93.5% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 91.3% | 91.3% | 91.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 92.4% | 92.2% | 92.7% | 3 |
| 2010s | 93.1% | 92.6% | 93.5% | 7 |
| 2020s | 93.4% | 93.3% | 93.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 41 Ecuador 94.5% compare
- 42 Brazil 94.5% compare
- 43 Dominican Republic 93.6% compare
- 45 Cape Verde 92.9% compare
- 46 Iran, Islamic Republic of 92.8% compare
- 47 Tunisia 92.7% compare
More education data for Sri Lanka
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 155,543 (2023)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Sri Lanka?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Sri Lanka was 93.5% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 93.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 91.3% in 1981.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male?
- Sri Lanka ranks 44th out of 88 countries with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.0%. 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 literacy rate, population 15+ years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release