Percentage of qualified teachers in primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Percentage of qualified teachers in primary education, both sexes was 98.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
98.0%
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
59th
of 113 countries
All-time high
98.2%
in 2022
All-time low
83.1%
in 2018
Years of data
9
2015–2023

Percentage of qualified teachers in primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka, 2015–2023

0204060801002015201920232015: 85.2 %2016: 85.2 %2017: 85.7 %2018: 83.1 %2019: 83.6 %2020: 83.8 %2021: 98 %2022: 98.2 %2023: 98 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2023, percentage of qualified teachers in primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka stood at 98.0%.

The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 15.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, percentage of qualified teachers in primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka peaked at 98.2% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 83.1%, in 2018.

Sri Lanka ranks 59th of 113 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Percentage of qualified teachers in primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka, year by year

Annual values for Percentage of qualified teachers in primary education, both sexes (%) in Sri Lanka, 2015 to 2023.
Year % Change
2015 85.2%
2016 85.2% +0.1%
2017 85.7% +0.5%
2018 83.1% -2.9%
2019 83.6% +0.6%
2020 83.8% +0.1%
2021 98.0% +17.0%
2022 98.2% +0.3%
2023 98.0% -0.2%

Sri Lanka compared with similar countries

  • Sri Lanka's 98.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 99.0%, 99% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
  • Sri Lanka's 98.0% is above the median for South Asia, which is 98.0%, 1.0× the median. (6 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 84.6% 83.1% 85.7% 5
2020s 94.5% 83.8% 98.2% 4

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 56 Zimbabwe 99.0% compare
  2. 57 China 98.8% compare
  3. 58 Kiribati 98.5% compare
  4. 60 Nepal 98.0% compare
  5. 61 Costa Rica 97.8% compare
  6. 62 Tanzania, United Republic of 97.7% compare

See the full ranking of 299 places →

More education data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is percentage of qualified teachers in primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka?
Percentage of qualified teachers in primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka was 98.0% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest percentage of qualified teachers in primary education, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 98.2% in 2022.
What is the lowest percentage of qualified teachers in primary education, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 83.1% in 2018.
How does Sri Lanka rank for percentage of qualified teachers in primary education, both sexes?
Sri Lanka ranks 59th out of 113 countries with data for 2023.
Is percentage of qualified teachers in primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is up 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of qualified teachers in primary education, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Percentage of qualified teachers in primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/percentage-of-qualified-teachers-in-primary-education-both-sexes-percent-2/sri-lanka/

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About this data

Indicator
Percentage of qualified teachers in primary education, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
299 places, 3,399 data points, 1999–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release