Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ was 88.1% 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
In 2023, educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ in Sri Lanka stood at 88.1%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and up 4.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ in Sri Lanka peaked at 88.8% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 54.6%, in 1971.
Sri Lanka ranks 87th of 134 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | cumulative | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 54.6% | — |
| 2001 | 88.4% | +61.8% |
| 2010 | 83.5% | -5.5% |
| 2011 | 84.3% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 84.8% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 85.8% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 85.8% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 85.8% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 86.7% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 87.0% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 87.8% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 87.8% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 88.8% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 88.5% | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 88.1% | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 54.6% | 54.6% | 54.6% | 1 |
| 2000s | 88.4% | 88.4% | 88.4% | 1 |
| 2010s | 85.7% | 83.5% | 87.8% | 9 |
| 2020s | 88.3% | 87.8% | 88.8% | 4 |
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 educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ in Sri Lanka?
- Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ in Sri Lanka was 88.1% 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 88.8% in 2021.
- What is the lowest educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 54.6% in 1971.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+?
- Sri Lanka ranks 87th out of 134 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 4.0%. 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, male (%) (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.