Educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary was 5.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary in Sri Lanka, 1971–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in cumulative.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 5.2% for educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and up 52.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary in Sri Lanka peaked at 5.2% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 1981.
That places Sri Lanka 122nd out of 129 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | cumulative | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 2.7% | — |
| 1981 | 1.4% | -49.5% |
| 2010 | 2.9% | +116.5% |
| 2011 | 3.2% | +8.5% |
| 2013 | 3.4% | +7.6% |
| 2014 | 3.4% | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 3.6% | +7.1% |
| 2016 | 3.9% | +7.5% |
| 2017 | 4.2% | +6.7% |
| 2018 | 4.0% | -4.3% |
| 2019 | 4.2% | +4.7% |
| 2020 | 4.2% | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 4.7% | +10.1% |
| 2022 | 4.7% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 5.2% | +11.7% |
| 2024 | 5.2% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1 |
| 1980s | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1 |
| 2010s | 3.7% | 2.9% | 4.2% | 9 |
| 2020s | 4.8% | 4.2% | 5.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
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 short-cycle tertiary in Sri Lanka?
- Educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary in Sri Lanka was 5.2% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 5.2% in 2023.
- What is the lowest educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 1981.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary?
- Sri Lanka ranks 122nd out of 129 countries with data for 2024.
- Is educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 52.5%. 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 short-cycle tertiary, population 25+, 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 short-cycle tertiary education.