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 138,377 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
138,377
Change on year
up 13.0%
World rank
43rd
of 170 countries
All-time high
142,355
in 2010
All-time low
82,905
in 2017
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 138,377.
The figure is up 13.0% on the previous year and up 15.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Sri Lanka peaked at 142,355 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 82,905, in 2017.
That places Sri Lanka 43rd out of 170 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 142,355 | — |
| 2011 | 139,057 | -2.3% |
| 2012 | 132,658 | -4.6% |
| 2013 | 119,662 | -9.8% |
| 2017 | 82,905 | -30.7% |
| 2018 | 85,315 | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 122,476 | +43.6% |
| 2023 | 138,377 | +13.0% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 138,377 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 22,713, 6.1× the median. (49 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 138,377 is above the median for South Asia, which is 138,377, 1.0× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 116,992 | 82,905 | 142,355 | 6 |
| 2020s | 130,426 | 122,476 | 138,377 | 2 |
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 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 138,377 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 142,355 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 82,905 in 2017.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary?
- Sri Lanka ranks 43rd 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 15.6%. 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, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release