Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling was 1.95 live births per woman in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
1.95 live births per woman
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
118th
of 236 countries
All-time high
5.46 live births per woman
in 1950
All-time low
1.95 live births per woman
in 2024
Years of data
75
1950–2024
Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in Sri Lanka, 1950–2024
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in live births per woman.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 1.95 live births per woman for fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 75 years on record.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in Sri Lanka peaked at 5.46 live births per woman in 1950 and was at its lowest, 1.95 live births per woman, in 2024.
Sri Lanka ranks 118th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 75 years of available data.
Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | live births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 5.46 live births per woman | — |
| 1951 | 5.46 live births per woman | -0.0% |
| 1952 | 5.43 live births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1953 | 5.39 live births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1954 | 5.35 live births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1955 | 5.31 live births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1956 | 5.26 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1957 | 5.34 live births per woman | +1.4% |
| 1958 | 5.4 live births per woman | +1.3% |
| 1959 | 5.41 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1960 | 5.35 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1961 | 5.24 live births per woman | -2.1% |
| 1962 | 5.18 live births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1963 | 5.12 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1964 | 5.06 live births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1965 | 4.93 live births per woman | -2.4% |
| 1966 | 4.83 live births per woman | -2.1% |
| 1967 | 4.79 live births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1968 | 4.66 live births per woman | -2.7% |
| 1969 | 4.5 live births per woman | -3.4% |
| 1970 | 4.39 live births per woman | -2.5% |
| 1971 | 4.27 live births per woman | -2.8% |
| 1972 | 4.16 live births per woman | -2.6% |
| 1973 | 4 live births per woman | -3.7% |
| 1974 | 3.85 live births per woman | -3.6% |
| 1975 | 3.82 live births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1976 | 3.78 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1977 | 3.74 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1978 | 3.81 live births per woman | +1.8% |
| 1979 | 3.82 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 3.73 live births per woman | -2.5% |
| 1981 | 3.65 live births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1982 | 3.32 live births per woman | -9.0% |
| 1983 | 3.11 live births per woman | -6.2% |
| 1984 | 3.01 live births per woman | -3.5% |
| 1985 | 2.9 live births per woman | -3.7% |
| 1986 | 2.74 live births per woman | -5.3% |
| 1987 | 2.64 live births per woman | -3.6% |
| 1988 | 2.56 live births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1989 | 2.58 live births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 2.54 live births per woman | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 2.51 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 2.49 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 2.44 live births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 2.4 live births per woman | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 2.35 live births per woman | -2.2% |
| 1996 | 2.29 live births per woman | -2.9% |
| 1997 | 2.21 live births per woman | -3.1% |
| 1998 | 2.14 live births per woman | -3.6% |
| 1999 | 2.14 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 2.21 live births per woman | +3.3% |
| 2001 | 2.28 live births per woman | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 2.31 live births per woman | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 2.3 live births per woman | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 2.27 live births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 2.26 live births per woman | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 2.29 live births per woman | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 2.29 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 2.23 live births per woman | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 2.18 live births per woman | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 2.13 live births per woman | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 2.14 live births per woman | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 2.17 live births per woman | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 2.18 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 2.13 live births per woman | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 2.09 live births per woman | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 2.06 live births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 2.04 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 2.03 live births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 2.02 live births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 2.01 live births per woman | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 2 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 1.98 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 1.97 live births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 1.95 live births per woman | -1.1% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 1.95 live births per woman is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.8 live births per woman, 1.1× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 1.95 live births per woman is below the median for South Asia, which is 1.96 live births per woman, 100% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5.38 live births per woman | 5.26 live births per woman | 5.46 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1960s | 4.96 live births per woman | 4.5 live births per woman | 5.35 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.96 live births per woman | 3.74 live births per woman | 4.39 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.02 live births per woman | 2.56 live births per woman | 3.73 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.35 live births per woman | 2.14 live births per woman | 2.54 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.26 live births per woman | 2.18 live births per woman | 2.31 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.1 live births per woman | 2.02 live births per woman | 2.18 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.98 live births per woman | 1.95 live births per woman | 2.01 live births per woman | 5 |
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 fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in Sri Lanka?
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in Sri Lanka was 1.95 live births per woman in 2024, according to Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility rate vs. average years of schooling recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 5.46 live births per woman in 1950.
- What is the lowest fertility rate vs. average years of schooling recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.95 live births per woman in 2024.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for fertility rate vs. average years of schooling?
- Sri Lanka ranks 118th out of 236 countries with data for 2024.
- Is fertility rate vs. average years of schooling rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Average number of live births a hypothetical cohort of women would have at the end of their reproductive period if they were subject during their whole lives to the fertility rates of a given period and if they were not subject to mortality.