Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ was 86.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ in Sri Lanka, 1971–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in cumulative.
Analysis
The most recent figure for educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ in Sri Lanka is 86.6%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ in Sri Lanka peaked at 86.6% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 38.5%, in 1971.
That places Sri Lanka 86th out of 135 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.
Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | cumulative | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 38.5% | — |
| 2001 | 83.4% | +116.6% |
| 2011 | 81.8% | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 82.4% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 83.4% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 83.7% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 83.7% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 84.5% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 84.9% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 85.7% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 85.8% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 86.2% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 86.3% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 86.6% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 38.5% | 38.5% | 38.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 83.4% | 83.4% | 83.4% | 1 |
| 2010s | 83.8% | 81.8% | 85.7% | 8 |
| 2020s | 86.2% | 85.8% | 86.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 83 Singapore 87.4% compare
- 84 Philippines 87.2% compare
- 85 Bosnia and Herzegovina 86.8% compare
- 87 Costa Rica 85.7% compare
- 88 Mexico 85.7% compare
- 89 Viet Nam 84.9% compare
More education data for Sri Lanka
- 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)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.58 million (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -2.89 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ in Sri Lanka?
- Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ in Sri Lanka was 86.6% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 86.6% in 2023.
- What is the lowest educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.5% in 1971.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+?
- Sri Lanka ranks 86th out of 135 countries with data for 2023.
- Is educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, female (%) (cumulative). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed primary education.