Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower was 8.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
8.0%
Change on year
up 17.3%
World rank
64th
of 181 countries
All-time high
8.8%
in 2010
All-time low
2.4%
in 2018
Years of data
9
2010–2023
Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Sri Lanka, 2010–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 8.0% for out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 17.3% on the previous year and up 123.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Sri Lanka peaked at 8.8% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 2018.
That places Sri Lanka 64th out of 181 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 8.8% | — |
| 2011 | 8.5% | -2.8% |
| 2012 | 8.1% | -5.0% |
| 2013 | 3.6% | -56.1% |
| 2017 | 2.8% | -20.5% |
| 2018 | 2.4% | -13.9% |
| 2021 | 3.1% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | 6.8% | +121.0% |
| 2023 | 8.0% | +17.3% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 8.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.0%, 1.6× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 8.0% is above the median for South Asia, which is 6.7%, 1.2× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5.7% | 2.4% | 8.8% | 6 |
| 2020s | 5.9% | 3.1% | 8.0% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 61 Cambodia 8.2% compare
- 62 Mozambique 8.1% compare
- 63 Timor-Leste 8.0% compare
- 65 Kiribati 7.9% compare
- 66 Ecuador 7.8% compare
- 67 Marshall Islands 7.7% 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 rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Sri Lanka?
- Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Sri Lanka was 8.0% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 8.8% in 2010.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 2018.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower?
- Sri Lanka ranks 64th out of 181 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 123.9%. 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 rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release