Literacy rates among adults in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Literacy rates among adults was 92.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rates among adults in Sri Lanka, 1981–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 92.7% for literacy rates among adults in 2024. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rates among adults in Sri Lanka peaked at 92.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 86.8%, in 1981.
That places Sri Lanka 44th out of 89 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Literacy rates among adults in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 86.8% | — |
| 2001 | 90.7% | +4.5% |
| 2006 | 90.8% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 90.6% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 91.2% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 92.5% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 92.6% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 92.4% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 91.9% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 91.7% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 92.2% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 92.4% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 92.4% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 92.5% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 92.7% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 92.7% | +0.1% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 92.7% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 95.5%, 97% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 92.7% is above the median for South Asia, which is 79.0%, 1.2× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 86.8% | 86.8% | 86.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 90.7% | 90.6% | 90.8% | 3 |
| 2010s | 92.1% | 91.2% | 92.6% | 7 |
| 2020s | 92.5% | 92.4% | 92.7% | 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 literacy rates among adults in Sri Lanka?
- Literacy rates among adults in Sri Lanka was 92.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rates among adults recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 92.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rates among adults recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 86.8% in 1981.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for literacy rates among adults?
- Sri Lanka ranks 44th out of 89 countries with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rates among adults rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy rates among adults. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population aged 15 years and older who can read and write.