Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes was 81.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Sri Lanka, 1981–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Sri Lanka stood at 81.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and up 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Sri Lanka peaked at 82.4% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 69.9%, in 1981.
That places Sri Lanka 33rd out of 85 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 69.9% | — |
| 2001 | 76.9% | +10.0% |
| 2006 | 73.5% | -4.5% |
| 2008 | 74.1% | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 76.7% | +3.5% |
| 2014 | 81.2% | +5.8% |
| 2015 | 82.2% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 81.0% | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 80.3% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 79.1% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 81.2% | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 80.9% | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 81.1% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 81.3% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 82.4% | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 81.4% | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 69.9% | 69.9% | 69.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 74.8% | 73.5% | 76.9% | 3 |
| 2010s | 80.2% | 76.7% | 82.2% | 7 |
| 2020s | 81.4% | 80.9% | 82.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 30 Mauritius 82.3% compare
- 31 Palestine, State of 81.7% compare
- 32 Malaysia 81.7% compare
- 34 Macau, China 81.2% compare
- 35 Myanmar 80.9% compare
- 36 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 80.7% 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 elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Sri Lanka?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes in Sri Lanka was 81.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 82.4% in 2023.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 69.9% in 1981.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes?
- Sri Lanka ranks 33rd out of 85 countries with data for 2024.
- Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes 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 Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release