Population ages 15-64 in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Population ages 15-64 was 65.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population ages 15-64 in Sri Lanka, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population ages 15-64 in Sri Lanka is 65.8%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population ages 15-64 in Sri Lanka peaked at 67.5% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 54.8%, in 1960.
That places Sri Lanka 79th out of 217 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population ages 15-64 in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 54.8% | — |
| 1961 | 55.0% | +0.3% |
| 1962 | 55.2% | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 55.4% | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 55.5% | +0.3% |
| 1965 | 55.6% | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 55.8% | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 55.9% | +0.3% |
| 1968 | 56.1% | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 56.3% | +0.3% |
| 1970 | 56.5% | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 56.7% | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 56.9% | +0.4% |
| 1973 | 57.2% | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 57.6% | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 58.0% | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 58.3% | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 58.6% | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 58.8% | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 59.0% | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 59.1% | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 59.3% | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 59.4% | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 59.5% | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 59.6% | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 59.8% | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 60.2% | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 60.7% | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 61.1% | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 61.5% | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 61.8% | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 62.2% | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 62.8% | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 63.5% | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 64.1% | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 64.7% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 65.3% | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 65.7% | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 66.1% | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 66.4% | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 66.8% | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 67.1% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 67.3% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 67.4% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 67.5% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 67.5% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 67.5% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 67.5% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 67.4% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 67.3% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 67.2% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 67.0% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 66.9% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 66.7% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 66.5% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 66.3% | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 66.2% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 66.1% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 66.0% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 66.0% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 65.9% | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 65.9% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 65.9% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 65.9% | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 65.9% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 65.8% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 55.6% | 54.8% | 56.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 57.7% | 56.5% | 59.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 60.0% | 59.1% | 61.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 64.3% | 61.8% | 66.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 67.3% | 66.8% | 67.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 66.5% | 66.0% | 67.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 65.9% | 65.8% | 65.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More education data for Sri Lanka
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.54 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.4555 % change on previous year (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 73,333 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.32 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.29 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate -0.5206 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.25 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -0.3876 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 439,099 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.72 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population ages 15-64 in Sri Lanka?
- Population ages 15-64 in Sri Lanka was 65.8% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population ages 15-64 recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 67.5% in 2005.
- What is the lowest population ages 15-64 recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 54.8% in 1960.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for population ages 15-64?
- Sri Lanka ranks 79th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population ages 15-64 rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population ages 15-64 (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Total population between the ages 15 to 64 as a percentage of the total population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.