Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Enrolment in primary education, both sexes was 1.58 million in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1.58 million
Change on year
down 2.9%
World rank
75th
of 218 countries
All-time high
2.30 million
in 1986
All-time low
1.44 million
in 1975
Years of data
51
1970–2023
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2023, enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka stood at 1.58 million.
That represents a change of down 2.9% on the previous year and down 10.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka peaked at 2.30 million in 1986 and was at its lowest, 1.44 million, in 1975.
That places Sri Lanka 75th out of 218 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.67 million | — |
| 1971 | 1.71 million | +2.4% |
| 1972 | 1.56 million | -8.6% |
| 1973 | 1.54 million | -1.6% |
| 1974 | 1.47 million | -4.5% |
| 1975 | 1.44 million | -2.3% |
| 1976 | 1.44 million | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 1.53 million | +6.5% |
| 1978 | 1.94 million | +26.8% |
| 1979 | 2.00 million | +3.1% |
| 1980 | 2.08 million | +4.0% |
| 1981 | 2.13 million | +2.5% |
| 1982 | 2.14 million | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 2.15 million | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 2.19 million | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 2.24 million | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 2.30 million | +2.8% |
| 1987 | 2.04 million | -11.6% |
| 1988 | 2.08 million | +2.3% |
| 1989 | 2.11 million | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 2.11 million | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 2.11 million | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 2.06 million | -2.5% |
| 1993 | 2.01 million | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 1.96 million | -2.6% |
| 1995 | 1.96 million | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 1.84 million | -6.0% |
| 1998 | 1.80 million | -2.3% |
| 2001 | 1.77 million | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 1.73 million | -2.2% |
| 2003 | 1.67 million | -3.5% |
| 2004 | 1.58 million | -5.3% |
| 2005 | 1.61 million | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 1.61 million | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 1.62 million | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 1.63 million | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 1.62 million | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 1.72 million | +6.3% |
| 2011 | 1.74 million | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 1.75 million | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 1.77 million | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 1.78 million | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 1.78 million | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1.76 million | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 1.75 million | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 1.73 million | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 1.71 million | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 1.69 million | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 1.67 million | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 1.62 million | -2.5% |
| 2023 | 1.58 million | -2.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.63 million | 1.44 million | 2.00 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.15 million | 2.04 million | 2.30 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.98 million | 1.80 million | 2.11 million | 8 |
| 2000s | 1.65 million | 1.58 million | 1.77 million | 9 |
| 2010s | 1.75 million | 1.71 million | 1.78 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.64 million | 1.58 million | 1.69 million | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 72 Papua New Guinea 1.65 million compare
- 73 Poland 1.60 million compare
- 74 Kazakhstan 1.58 million compare
- 76 Chile 1.49 million compare
- 77 Ukraine 1.40 million compare
- 78 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 1.38 million compare
More education data for Sri Lanka
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.54 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.4555 % change on previous year (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 73,333 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.32 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.29 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate -0.5206 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.25 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -0.3876 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 439,099 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.72 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka?
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka was 1.58 million in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 2.30 million in 1986.
- What is the lowest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.44 million in 1975.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for enrolment in primary education, both sexes?
- Sri Lanka ranks 75th out of 218 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.8%. 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 primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release