Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was 1.7% in 2018. ▼ Falling
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Sri Lanka, 1973–2018
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Sri Lanka is 1.7%, measured in 2018.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 25.4% on the previous year and down 9.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Sri Lanka peaked at 3.3% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 2012.
Sri Lanka ranks 170th of 185 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 3.3% | — |
| 1975 | 2.7% | -17.2% |
| 1979 | 2.6% | -6.5% |
| 1980 | 2.7% | +5.3% |
| 1981 | 2.4% | -9.7% |
| 1982 | 2.6% | +4.8% |
| 1983 | 2.4% | -6.6% |
| 1984 | 2.2% | -9.4% |
| 1985 | 2.6% | +19.0% |
| 1986 | 2.8% | +8.9% |
| 1987 | 2.6% | -5.7% |
| 1988 | 2.8% | +6.9% |
| 1989 | 2.8% | -2.5% |
| 1990 | 2.4% | -12.5% |
| 1991 | 2.9% | +20.9% |
| 1994 | 3.1% | +6.6% |
| 1995 | 3.0% | -4.9% |
| 1996 | 3.3% | +13.1% |
| 1998 | 3.1% | -8.7% |
| 2009 | 1.9% | -36.9% |
| 2010 | 1.5% | -20.5% |
| 2011 | 1.5% | -5.3% |
| 2012 | 1.4% | -3.8% |
| 2013 | 1.4% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 1.8% | +28.8% |
| 2015 | 2.1% | +13.9% |
| 2016 | 2.6% | +27.5% |
| 2017 | 2.3% | -11.3% |
| 2018 | 1.7% | -25.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.9% | 2.6% | 3.3% | 3 |
| 1980s | 2.6% | 2.2% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.0% | 2.4% | 3.3% | 6 |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 1.8% | 1.4% | 2.6% | 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 initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Sri Lanka?
- Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Sri Lanka was 1.7% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 3.3% in 1996.
- What is the lowest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 2012.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
- Sri Lanka ranks 170th out of 185 countries with data for 2018.
- Is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.4%. 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 Initial government expenditure on 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