Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions was 96.8% in 2020. ▬ Flat
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Sri Lanka, 2001–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Sri Lanka is 96.8%, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 20 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Sri Lanka peaked at 100.0% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 96.8%, in 2020.
That places Sri Lanka 44th out of 201 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 100.0% | — |
| 2002 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 97.2% | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 97.0% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 96.9% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 96.9% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 97.1% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 97.0% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 97.0% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 97.0% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 96.9% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 96.8% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 96.8% | -0.0% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 96.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 90.5%, 1.1× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 96.8% is above the median for South Asia, which is 85.4%, 1.1× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 9 |
| 2010s | 97.0% | 96.8% | 97.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 96.8% | 96.8% | 96.8% | 1 |
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 percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Sri Lanka?
- Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Sri Lanka was 96.8% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 2001.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 96.8% in 2020.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions?
- Sri Lanka ranks 44th out of 201 countries with data for 2020.
- Is percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release