Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 7.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Sri Lanka, 2000–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in IMF calculation.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 7.9% for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in 2023.
The figure is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 13.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Sri Lanka peaked at 11.0% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 7.6%, in 2001.
Sri Lanka ranks 111th of 123 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | IMF calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 9.6% | — |
| 2001 | 7.6% | -20.7% |
| 2002 | 9.6% | +25.6% |
| 2003 | 9.5% | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 8.9% | -6.3% |
| 2005 | 10.9% | +21.8% |
| 2006 | 11.0% | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 10.9% | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 10.3% | -5.6% |
| 2009 | 8.7% | -15.3% |
| 2010 | 8.4% | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 8.9% | +5.4% |
| 2012 | 8.9% | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 9.1% | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 10.8% | +17.8% |
| 2015 | 9.8% | -8.8% |
| 2016 | 10.1% | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 10.0% | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 9.8% | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 9.9% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 8.8% | -11.3% |
| 2022 | 8.1% | -7.7% |
| 2023 | 7.9% | -2.4% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 7.9% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 12.8%, 62% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 7.9% is below the median for South Asia, which is 13.5%, 59% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.7% | 7.6% | 11.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.6% | 8.4% | 10.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.3% | 7.9% | 8.8% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
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 expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Sri Lanka?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Sri Lanka was 7.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 11.0% in 2006.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.6% in 2001.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Sri Lanka ranks 111th out of 123 countries with data for 2023.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.5%. 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 Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure (%) (IMF calculation). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release