Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP was 0.3% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP in Sri Lanka, 1973–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp in Sri Lanka is 0.3%, measured in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 23.9% on the previous year and up 12.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp in Sri Lanka peaked at 0.6% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 1975.
That places Sri Lanka 145th out of 173 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 0.3% | — |
| 1975 | 0.2% | -15.3% |
| 1979 | 0.3% | +41.9% |
| 1980 | 0.4% | +38.2% |
| 1981 | 0.4% | -5.2% |
| 1982 | 0.4% | +6.9% |
| 1983 | 0.4% | -0.8% |
| 1984 | 0.5% | +6.7% |
| 1985 | 0.4% | -0.9% |
| 1986 | 0.6% | +32.2% |
| 1987 | 0.5% | -13.7% |
| 1988 | 0.5% | -4.4% |
| 1989 | 0.5% | -3.0% |
| 1990 | 0.4% | -12.4% |
| 1991 | 0.4% | -12.4% |
| 1994 | 0.5% | +28.6% |
| 1995 | 0.4% | -10.3% |
| 1996 | 0.4% | -2.3% |
| 2001 | 0.4% | -11.9% |
| 2009 | 0.4% | +3.9% |
| 2010 | 0.3% | -27.0% |
| 2011 | 0.3% | +13.4% |
| 2012 | 0.3% | -12.1% |
| 2013 | 0.3% | +21.4% |
| 2014 | 0.4% | +13.4% |
| 2015 | 0.4% | +9.1% |
| 2016 | 0.4% | -4.3% |
| 2017 | 0.3% | -14.1% |
| 2018 | 0.4% | +22.6% |
| 2020 | 0.4% | +3.2% |
| 2021 | 0.4% | -5.2% |
| 2022 | 0.3% | -23.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 3 |
| 1980s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 5 |
| 2000s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 9 |
| 2020s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 142 El Salvador 0.3% compare
- 143 Uganda 0.3% compare
- 144 Jordan 0.3% compare
- 146 Central African Republic 0.3% compare
- 147 Myanmar 0.3% compare
- 148 Saint Lucia 0.3% compare
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 government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp in Sri Lanka?
- Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp in Sri Lanka was 0.3% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 0.6% in 1986.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 1975.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp?
- Sri Lanka ranks 145th out of 173 countries with data for 2022.
- Is government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.6%. 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 Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release