Primary education, pupils, per capita in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Primary education, pupils, per capita was 0.0715 units per person in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
0.0715 units per person
Change on year
down 2.3%
World rank
138th
of 206 countries
All-time high
0.1465 units per person
in 1986
All-time low
0.0715 units per person
in 2023
Years of data
51
1970–2023

Primary education, pupils, per capita in Sri Lanka, 1970–2023

00.050.10.15197019962023

Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per person.

Analysis

The most recent figure for primary education, pupils, per capita in Sri Lanka is 0.0715 units per person, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 51 years on record.

The figure is down 2.3% on the previous year and down 16.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, primary education, pupils, per capita in Sri Lanka peaked at 0.1465 units per person in 1986 and was at its lowest, 0.0715 units per person, in 2023.

That places Sri Lanka 138th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.

Primary education, pupils, per capita in Sri Lanka, year by year

Annual values for Primary education, pupils, per capita in Sri Lanka, 1970 to 2023.
Year units per person Change
1970 0.136 units per person
1971 0.1364 units per person +0.3%
1972 0.1221 units per person -10.4%
1973 0.1179 units per person -3.5%
1974 0.1105 units per person -6.3%
1975 0.106 units per person -4.1%
1976 0.1043 units per person -1.6%
1977 0.1091 units per person +4.6%
1978 0.1358 units per person +24.5%
1979 0.1373 units per person +1.2%
1980 0.1402 units per person +2.1%
1981 0.1412 units per person +0.8%
1982 0.1401 units per person -0.8%
1983 0.1399 units per person -0.1%
1984 0.1416 units per person +1.2%
1985 0.1443 units per person +1.9%
1986 0.1465 units per person +1.5%
1987 0.128 units per person -12.6%
1988 0.1296 units per person +1.3%
1989 0.1302 units per person +0.4%
1990 0.1292 units per person -0.8%
1991 0.1282 units per person -0.7%
1992 0.123 units per person -4.1%
1993 0.1182 units per person -3.9%
1994 0.1135 units per person -4.0%
1995 0.1117 units per person -1.5%
1996 0.103 units per person -7.8%
1998 0.0969 units per person -5.9%
2001 0.0902 units per person -6.9%
2002 0.0873 units per person -3.2%
2003 0.0836 units per person -4.2%
2004 0.0787 units per person -5.9%
2005 0.0797 units per person +1.3%
2006 0.0792 units per person -0.6%
2007 0.0791 units per person -0.1%
2008 0.0791 units per person -0.1%
2009 0.078 units per person -1.4%
2010 0.0824 units per person +5.6%
2011 0.0826 units per person +0.2%
2012 0.0828 units per person +0.2%
2013 0.0859 units per person +3.7%
2014 0.0856 units per person -0.3%
2015 0.0848 units per person -0.9%
2016 0.0831 units per person -2.0%
2017 0.0814 units per person -2.1%
2018 0.0796 units per person -2.2%
2019 0.0785 units per person -1.5%
2020 0.0773 units per person -1.4%
2021 0.0752 units per person -2.8%
2022 0.0732 units per person -2.6%
2023 0.0715 units per person -2.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 0.1215 units per person 0.1043 units per person 0.1373 units per person 10
1980s 0.1382 units per person 0.128 units per person 0.1465 units per person 10
1990s 0.1155 units per person 0.0969 units per person 0.1292 units per person 8
2000s 0.0816 units per person 0.078 units per person 0.0902 units per person 9
2010s 0.0827 units per person 0.0785 units per person 0.0859 units per person 10
2020s 0.0743 units per person 0.0715 units per person 0.0773 units per person 4

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 135 Jamaica 0.0744 units per person compare
  2. 136 New Zealand 0.0724 units per person compare
  3. 137 Denmark 0.0723 units per person compare
  4. 139 Aruba 0.0715 units per person compare
  5. 140 Brazil 0.0713 units per person compare
  6. 141 United Kingdom 0.071 units per person compare

See the full ranking of 251 places →

More education data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is primary education, pupils, per capita in Sri Lanka?
Primary education, pupils, per capita in Sri Lanka was 0.0715 units per person in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest primary education, pupils, per capita recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 0.1465 units per person in 1986.
What is the lowest primary education, pupils, per capita recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0715 units per person in 2023.
How does Sri Lanka rank for primary education, pupils, per capita?
Sri Lanka ranks 138th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
Is primary education, pupils, per capita rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is down 16.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Primary education, pupils, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Primary education, pupils, per capita in Sri Lanka. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/primary-education-pupils-per-capita/sri-lanka/

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How this figure is calculated

Primary education, pupils divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.

Primary education, pupils ÷ Population, total

Computed from

Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.

About this data

Indicator
Primary education, pupils, per capita
Unit
units per person
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
251 places, 11,297 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Primary education, pupils divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.