Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female was 222,100 in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
222,100
Change on year
down 5.6%
World rank
58th
of 195 countries
All-time high
235,335
in 2022
All-time low
5,334
in 1970
Years of data
28
1970–2023

Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Sri Lanka, 1970–2023

050.0k100.0k150.0k200.0k250.0k1970199620231970: 5.3k1971: 5.5k1973: 5.4k1974: 5.4k1975: 5.5k1977: 6.0k1978: 6.1k1979: 15.7k1981: 18.9k1983: 25.3k1984: 25.9k1985: 24.0k1986: 25.1k1994: 26.3k2010: 169.5k2011: 154.3k2012: 168.9k2013: 182.9k2014: 171.7k2015: 188.1k2016: 177.6k2017: 175.5k2018: 180.0k2019: 201.0k2020: 208.9k2021: 214.4k2022: 235.3k2023: 222.1k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2023, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Sri Lanka stood at 222,100.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.6% on the previous year and up 21.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Sri Lanka peaked at 235,335 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 5,334, in 1970.

That places Sri Lanka 58th out of 195 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 6,871 5,334 15,708 8
1980s 23,836 18,877 25,885 5
1990s 26,318 26,318 26,318 1
2010s 176,947 154,278 201,039 10
2020s 220,183 208,947 235,335 4

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 55 Israel 237,721 compare
  2. 56 Jordan 234,416 compare
  3. 57 Portugal 230,157 compare
  4. 59 Cameroon 219,663 compare
  5. 60 Democratic Republic of the Congo 210,402 compare
  6. 61 Tunisia 193,362 compare

See the full ranking of 416 places →

More education data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Sri Lanka?
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Sri Lanka was 222,100 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 235,335 in 2022.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 5,334 in 1970.
How does Sri Lanka rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female?
Sri Lanka ranks 58th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is up 21.4%. 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, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Sri Lanka. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-all-programmes-female-number-2/sri-lanka/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
416 places, 17,247 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release