Labor force, total, per capita in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Labor force, total, per capita was 0.3799 units per person in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force, total, per capita in Sri Lanka, 1990–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per person.
Analysis
In 2025, labor force, total, per capita in Sri Lanka stood at 0.3799 units per person.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and down 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, total, per capita in Sri Lanka peaked at 0.4248 units per person in 1998 and was at its lowest, 0.368 units per person, in 2023.
That places Sri Lanka 142nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, total, per capita in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | units per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.4145 units per person | — |
| 1991 | 0.4012 units per person | -3.2% |
| 1992 | 0.3886 units per person | -3.1% |
| 1993 | 0.3935 units per person | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 0.4 units per person | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 0.3886 units per person | -2.9% |
| 1996 | 0.3953 units per person | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 0.3968 units per person | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 0.4248 units per person | +7.1% |
| 1999 | 0.4161 units per person | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 0.4057 units per person | -2.5% |
| 2001 | 0.4061 units per person | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 0.406 units per person | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.4056 units per person | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 0.4047 units per person | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 0.4037 units per person | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 0.4025 units per person | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 0.4013 units per person | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 0.4 units per person | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 0.3987 units per person | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 0.3975 units per person | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 0.3948 units per person | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 0.3933 units per person | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 0.3903 units per person | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 0.3877 units per person | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 0.4042 units per person | +4.3% |
| 2016 | 0.4057 units per person | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 0.4091 units per person | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 0.3933 units per person | -3.9% |
| 2019 | 0.3989 units per person | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 0.3871 units per person | -3.0% |
| 2021 | 0.3837 units per person | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 0.3844 units per person | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 0.368 units per person | -4.3% |
| 2024 | 0.3789 units per person | +3.0% |
| 2025 | 0.3799 units per person | +0.3% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 0.3799 units per person is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.4696 units per person, 81% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 0.3799 units per person is below the median for South Asia, which is 0.4237 units per person, 90% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.4019 units per person | 0.3886 units per person | 0.4248 units per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4034 units per person | 0.3987 units per person | 0.4061 units per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.3975 units per person | 0.3877 units per person | 0.4091 units per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.3803 units per person | 0.368 units per person | 0.3871 units per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 139 Venezuela 0.3899 units per person compare
- 140 Cameroon 0.3837 units per person compare
- 141 Equatorial Guinea 0.3807 units per person compare
- 143 Puerto Rico 0.3797 units per person compare
- 144 Ghana 0.3779 units per person compare
- 145 Central African Republic 0.3766 units per person 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 labor force, total, per capita in Sri Lanka?
- Labor force, total, per capita in Sri Lanka was 0.3799 units per person in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest labor force, total, per capita recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 0.4248 units per person in 1998.
- What is the lowest labor force, total, per capita recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.368 units per person in 2023.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for labor force, total, per capita?
- Sri Lanka ranks 142nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, total, per capita rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Labor force, total, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Labor force, total divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Labor force, total ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Labor force, total International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Labor force, total divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.