Expenditure on tertiary education in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Expenditure on tertiary education was 20.7% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on tertiary education in Sri Lanka, 1973–2018
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 20.7% for expenditure on tertiary education in 2018.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 60.0% on the previous year and up 14.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in Sri Lanka peaked at 21.1% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 7.6%, in 1973.
Sri Lanka ranks 77th of 160 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Expenditure on tertiary education in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 7.6% | — |
| 1975 | 7.8% | +2.3% |
| 1979 | 11.8% | +51.7% |
| 1980 | 15.5% | +31.2% |
| 1981 | 16.3% | +5.0% |
| 1982 | 16.6% | +2.1% |
| 1983 | 17.6% | +6.2% |
| 1984 | 20.8% | +17.8% |
| 1985 | 17.3% | -16.7% |
| 1986 | 21.0% | +21.4% |
| 1987 | 19.2% | -8.4% |
| 1988 | 17.2% | -10.5% |
| 1989 | 17.1% | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 17.1% | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 12.4% | -27.6% |
| 1994 | 15.0% | +20.7% |
| 1995 | 14.1% | -5.7% |
| 1996 | 12.2% | -13.6% |
| 2009 | 18.2% | +49.0% |
| 2010 | 16.4% | -9.7% |
| 2011 | 17.8% | +8.1% |
| 2012 | 18.7% | +5.5% |
| 2013 | 21.1% | +12.8% |
| 2014 | 20.2% | -4.5% |
| 2015 | 19.4% | -3.9% |
| 2016 | 12.1% | -37.5% |
| 2017 | 13.0% | +6.9% |
| 2018 | 20.7% | +60.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 9.1% | 7.6% | 11.8% | 3 |
| 1980s | 17.9% | 15.5% | 21.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.2% | 12.2% | 17.1% | 5 |
| 2000s | 18.2% | 18.2% | 18.2% | 1 |
| 2010s | 17.7% | 12.1% | 21.1% | 9 |
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 tertiary education in Sri Lanka?
- Expenditure on tertiary education in Sri Lanka was 20.7% in 2018, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 21.1% in 2013.
- What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.6% in 1973.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
- Sri Lanka ranks 77th out of 160 countries with data for 2018.
- Is expenditure on tertiary education rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Expenditure on tertiary education is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on education. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.