Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary was 112,619 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
112,619
Change on year
up 20.5%
World rank
48th
of 170 countries
All-time high
131,921
in 2010
All-time low
74,156
in 2018
Years of data
8
2010–2023
Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Sri Lanka, 2010–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2023, out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Sri Lanka stood at 112,619.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 20.5% on the previous year and up 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Sri Lanka peaked at 131,921 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 74,156, in 2018.
Sri Lanka ranks 48th of 170 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 131,921 | — |
| 2011 | 129,013 | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 123,737 | -4.1% |
| 2013 | 111,949 | -9.5% |
| 2017 | 77,346 | -30.9% |
| 2018 | 74,156 | -4.1% |
| 2022 | 93,484 | +26.1% |
| 2023 | 112,619 | +20.5% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 112,619 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 21,560, 5.2× the median. (49 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 112,619 is above the median for South Asia, which is 112,619, 1.0× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 108,020 | 74,156 | 131,921 | 6 |
| 2020s | 103,052 | 93,484 | 112,619 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 45 Myanmar 130,671 compare
- 46 Lebanon 121,404 compare
- 47 Cambodia 120,315 compare
- 49 Kazakhstan 111,233 compare
- 50 Mauritania 109,617 compare
- 51 Uzbekistan 107,986 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 out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Sri Lanka?
- Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Sri Lanka was 112,619 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 131,921 in 2010.
- What is the lowest out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 74,156 in 2018.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary?
- Sri Lanka ranks 48th out of 170 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. 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 Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release