Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes was 2.54 million in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
2.54 million
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
49th
of 219 countries
All-time high
2.73 million
in 2018
All-time low
941,322
in 1970
Years of data
34
1970–2023
Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka is 2.54 million, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka peaked at 2.73 million in 2018 and was at its lowest, 941,322, in 1970.
Sri Lanka ranks 49th of 219 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 941,322 | — |
| 1971 | 1.02 million | +8.1% |
| 1972 | 1.12 million | +10.5% |
| 1973 | 1.15 million | +2.0% |
| 1974 | 1.13 million | -1.1% |
| 1976 | 1.09 million | -4.0% |
| 1980 | 1.27 million | +16.5% |
| 1981 | 1.29 million | +2.0% |
| 1982 | 1.32 million | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 1.37 million | +4.0% |
| 1984 | 1.42 million | +3.9% |
| 1985 | 1.46 million | +2.9% |
| 1986 | 1.53 million | +4.3% |
| 1987 | 1.90 million | +24.4% |
| 1988 | 1.96 million | +3.3% |
| 1989 | 2.02 million | +3.2% |
| 1990 | 2.08 million | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 2.11 million | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 2.19 million | +3.8% |
| 1993 | 2.25 million | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 2.32 million | +3.1% |
| 1995 | 2.31 million | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 2.52 million | +9.1% |
| 2011 | 2.57 million | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 2.59 million | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 2.61 million | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 2.57 million | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 2.61 million | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 2.62 million | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 2.65 million | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 2.73 million | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 2.60 million | -4.7% |
| 2022 | 2.55 million | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 2.54 million | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.07 million | 941,322 | 1.15 million | 6 |
| 1980s | 1.55 million | 1.27 million | 2.02 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.21 million | 2.08 million | 2.32 million | 6 |
| 2010s | 2.61 million | 2.52 million | 2.73 million | 9 |
| 2020s | 2.56 million | 2.54 million | 2.60 million | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More education data for Sri Lanka
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 777,541 (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate -2.9 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), per capita 0.0353 units per person (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 798,817 (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate -2.89 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), per capita 0.0362 units per person (2023)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka?
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka was 2.54 million in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in secondary education, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 2.73 million in 2018.
- What is the lowest enrolment in secondary education, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 941,322 in 1970.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for enrolment in secondary education, both sexes?
- Sri Lanka ranks 49th out of 219 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.6%. 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 Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release