Out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes was 312,965 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Sri Lanka, 2010–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Sri Lanka is 312,965, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Sri Lanka peaked at 367,894 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 219,498, in 2021.
That places Sri Lanka 44th out of 184 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 10 years of available data.
Out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 367,894 | — |
| 2011 | 351,785 | -4.4% |
| 2013 | 347,877 | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 285,715 | -17.9% |
| 2016 | 308,100 | +7.8% |
| 2017 | 308,275 | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 262,124 | -15.0% |
| 2021 | 219,498 | -16.3% |
| 2022 | 312,275 | +42.3% |
| 2023 | 312,965 | +0.2% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 312,965 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 31,742, 9.9× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 312,965 is below the median for South Asia, which is 315,435, 99% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 318,824 | 262,124 | 367,894 | 7 |
| 2020s | 281,579 | 219,498 | 312,965 | 3 |
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 youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Sri Lanka?
- Out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Sri Lanka was 312,965 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 367,894 in 2010.
- What is the lowest out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 219,498 in 2021.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes?
- Sri Lanka ranks 44th out of 184 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.0%. 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 youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release