Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes was 358,218 in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Sri Lanka, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 358,218 for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in 2023.
That represents a change of down 6.0% on the previous year and up 20.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Sri Lanka peaked at 381,009 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 12,325, in 1970.
That places Sri Lanka 65th out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 12,325 | — |
| 1971 | 14,047 | +14.0% |
| 1973 | 14,102 | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 14,568 | +3.3% |
| 1975 | 15,426 | +5.9% |
| 1977 | 16,730 | +8.5% |
| 1978 | 17,485 | +4.5% |
| 1979 | 41,898 | +139.6% |
| 1981 | 44,247 | +5.6% |
| 1982 | 57,352 | +29.6% |
| 1983 | 63,730 | +11.1% |
| 1984 | 65,796 | +3.2% |
| 1985 | 59,377 | -9.8% |
| 1986 | 61,628 | +3.8% |
| 1994 | 80,704 | +31.0% |
| 2010 | 261,647 | +224.2% |
| 2011 | 242,300 | -7.4% |
| 2012 | 271,389 | +12.0% |
| 2013 | 297,782 | +9.7% |
| 2014 | 301,681 | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 308,000 | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 290,494 | -5.7% |
| 2017 | 290,495 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 300,794 | +3.5% |
| 2019 | 325,868 | +8.3% |
| 2020 | 337,740 | +3.6% |
| 2021 | 350,308 | +3.7% |
| 2022 | 381,009 | +8.8% |
| 2023 | 358,218 | -6.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 18,323 | 12,325 | 41,898 | 8 |
| 1980s | 58,688 | 44,247 | 65,796 | 6 |
| 1990s | 80,704 | 80,704 | 80,704 | 1 |
| 2010s | 289,045 | 242,300 | 325,868 | 10 |
| 2020s | 356,819 | 337,740 | 381,009 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More education data for Sri Lanka
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,024 tertiary education (2024)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0494 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 73,333 (2023)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 2 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 65.8% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 21.7% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 10 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 5 years (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Sri Lanka?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Sri Lanka was 358,218 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 381,009 in 2022.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 12,325 in 1970.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
- Sri Lanka ranks 65th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release