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 8.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling
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 8.6% for out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 13.9% on the previous year and up 16.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Sri Lanka peaked at 9.0% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 5.0%, in 2017.
That places Sri Lanka 64th out of 169 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 | 9.0% | — |
| 2011 | 8.7% | -2.8% |
| 2012 | 8.3% | -5.2% |
| 2013 | 7.4% | -10.5% |
| 2017 | 5.0% | -32.1% |
| 2018 | 5.2% | +2.8% |
| 2022 | 7.6% | +46.1% |
| 2023 | 8.6% | +13.9% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 8.6% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.0%, 1.7× the median. (49 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 8.6% is below the median for South Asia, which is 8.8%, 98% of the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 7.3% | 5.0% | 9.0% | 6 |
| 2020s | 8.1% | 7.6% | 8.6% | 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 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 8.6% 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 9.0% 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 5.0% in 2017.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower?
- Sri Lanka ranks 64th 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 16.3%. 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, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release