Labor force, female (% of total labor force) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Labor force, female (% of total labor force) was 33.4% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Labor force, female in Sri Lanka, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database. Measured in % of total labor force.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force, female in Sri Lanka is 33.4%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Sri Lanka peaked at 36.6% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 32.2%, in 1997.
That places Sri Lanka 160th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Labor force, female (% of total labor force) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 36.6% | — |
| 1991 | 34.7% | -5.3% |
| 1992 | 32.6% | -5.9% |
| 1993 | 33.3% | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 33.4% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 32.6% | -2.2% |
| 1996 | 32.3% | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 32.2% | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 35.5% | +10.2% |
| 1999 | 33.3% | -6.4% |
| 2000 | 33.1% | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 33.1% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 33.1% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 33.1% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 33.0% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 33.0% | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 33.0% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 33.0% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 33.1% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 33.1% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 33.1% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 33.4% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 32.4% | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 34.0% | +4.8% |
| 2014 | 33.6% | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 34.4% | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 34.3% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 34.9% | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 33.5% | -4.2% |
| 2019 | 34.1% | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 32.8% | -3.8% |
| 2021 | 32.9% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 33.3% | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 32.7% | -1.7% |
| 2024 | 33.4% | +2.2% |
| 2025 | 33.4% | +0.2% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 33.4% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 42.4%, 79% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 33.4% is below the median for South Asia, which is 33.7%, 99% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 33.7% | 32.2% | 36.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 33.1% | 33.0% | 33.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.8% | 32.4% | 34.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 33.1% | 32.7% | 33.4% | 6 |
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 labor force, female in Sri Lanka?
- Labor force, female in Sri Lanka was 33.4% in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, female recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 36.6% in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.2% in 1997.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for labor force, female?
- Sri Lanka ranks 160th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database, published as part of Labor force, female (% of total labor force). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Female labor force as a percentage of the total show the extent to which women are active in the labor force. Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.