Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male was 96.0% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male in Sri Lanka, 1981–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 96.0% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male in 2024.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male in Sri Lanka peaked at 96.4% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 93.2%, in 2001.
That places Sri Lanka 31st out of 57 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 95.6% | — |
| 2001 | 93.2% | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 94.1% | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 94.6% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 94.3% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 95.7% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 95.1% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 94.8% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 96.0% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 96.1% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 96.4% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 95.9% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 95.6% | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 96.0% | +0.4% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 96.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 97.4%, 99% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 95.6% | 95.6% | 95.6% | 1 |
| 2000s | 94.0% | 93.2% | 94.6% | 3 |
| 2010s | 95.2% | 94.3% | 96.0% | 5 |
| 2020s | 96.0% | 95.6% | 96.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
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, urban, male in Sri Lanka?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male in Sri Lanka was 96.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 96.4% in 2021.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 93.2% in 2001.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male?
- Sri Lanka ranks 31st out of 57 countries with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.3%. 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, urban, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release