Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number) (pre-primary) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number) (pre-primary) was 439,099 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka, 2010–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2023, enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka stood at 439,099.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% on the previous year and down 7.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka peaked at 577,105 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 420,241, in 2010.
That places Sri Lanka 59th out of 214 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.
Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number) (pre-primary) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 420,241 | — |
| 2011 | 431,819 | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 475,617 | +10.1% |
| 2013 | 475,639 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 435,096 | -8.5% |
| 2015 | 574,078 | +31.9% |
| 2016 | 577,105 | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 484,225 | -16.1% |
| 2018 | 464,189 | -4.1% |
| 2019 | 425,729 | -8.3% |
| 2020 | 425,729 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 425,729 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 431,678 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 439,099 | +1.7% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 439,099 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 160,388, 2.7× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 439,099 is below the median for South Asia, which is 900,374, 49% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number) (pre-primary) in Sri Lanka changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | +31.9% | 435,096 | 574,078 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 476,374 | 420,241 | 577,105 | 10 |
| 2020s | 430,559 | 425,729 | 439,099 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 56 Romania 521,826 compare
- 57 Netherlands 487,792 compare
- 58 Sweden 458,336 compare
- 60 Papua New Guinea 434,899 compare
- 61 Belgium 431,997 compare
- 62 Saudi Arabia 430,399 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 enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka?
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka was 439,099 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 577,105 in 2016.
- What is the lowest enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 420,241 in 2010.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes?
- Sri Lanka ranks 59th out of 214 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release