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 7.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
7.3%
Change on year
up 21.7%
World rank
68th
of 169 countries
All-time high
8.6%
in 2010
All-time low
4.6%
in 2018
Years of data
8
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 7.3% for out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 21.7% on the previous year and up 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Sri Lanka peaked at 8.6% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 4.6%, in 2018.
Sri Lanka ranks 68th of 169 countries on this measure, 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 | 8.6% | — |
| 2011 | 8.3% | -2.8% |
| 2012 | 7.9% | -4.8% |
| 2013 | 7.1% | -10.3% |
| 2017 | 4.8% | -32.3% |
| 2018 | 4.6% | -4.0% |
| 2022 | 6.0% | +29.4% |
| 2023 | 7.3% | +21.7% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 7.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.8%, 1.2× the median. (49 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 7.3% is above the median for South Asia, which is 4.7%, 1.5× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6.9% | 4.6% | 8.6% | 6 |
| 2020s | 6.6% | 6.0% | 7.3% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 65 Palestine, State of 7.4% compare
- 66 Oman 7.4% compare
- 67 Anguilla 7.3% compare
- 69 Saint Lucia 6.7% compare
- 70 South Africa 6.6% compare
- 71 Ecuador 6.5% 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 7.3% 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 8.6% 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 4.6% in 2018.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower?
- Sri Lanka ranks 68th out of 169 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 2.4%. 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, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release