Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population was 97.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in Sri Lanka, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in Sri Lanka stood at 97.9%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in Sri Lanka peaked at 97.9% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 80.8%, in 1971.
That places Sri Lanka 70th out of 134 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.
Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 80.8% | — |
| 1981 | 90.1% | +11.6% |
| 2001 | 94.8% | +5.2% |
| 2006 | 96.9% | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 96.7% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 96.8% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 96.9% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 97.1% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 97.4% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 97.5% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 97.8% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 97.8% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 97.6% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 97.7% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 97.7% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 97.6% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 97.9% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 97.7% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 97.8% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 97.9% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 80.8% | 80.8% | 80.8% | 1 |
| 1980s | 90.1% | 90.1% | 90.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 96.4% | 94.8% | 96.9% | 5 |
| 2010s | 97.6% | 97.1% | 97.8% | 8 |
| 2020s | 97.8% | 97.6% | 97.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 67 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 98.0% compare
- 68 Mauritius 97.9% compare
- 69 Puerto Rico 97.9% compare
- 71 Hong Kong, China 97.8% compare
- 72 Zimbabwe 97.7% compare
- 73 Peru 97.7% 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 educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in Sri Lanka?
- Educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in Sri Lanka was 97.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 97.9% in 2021.
- What is the lowest educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 80.8% in 1971.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population?
- Sri Lanka ranks 70th out of 134 countries with data for 2024.
- Is educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population 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 rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population 25+ years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release