Primary education, pupils, per square kilometre in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Primary education, pupils, per square kilometre was 25.48 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
25.48 units per square kilometre
Change on year
down 2.9%
World rank
44th
of 206 countries
All-time high
36.75 units per square kilometre
in 1986
All-time low
22.9 units per square kilometre
in 1975
Years of data
51
1970–2023

Primary education, pupils, per square kilometre in Sri Lanka, 1970–2023

010203040197019962023

Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.

Analysis

Sri Lanka recorded 25.48 units per square kilometre for primary education, pupils, per square kilometre in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.9% on the previous year and down 9.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, primary education, pupils, per square kilometre in Sri Lanka peaked at 36.75 units per square kilometre in 1986 and was at its lowest, 22.9 units per square kilometre, in 1975.

That places Sri Lanka 44th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Primary education, pupils, per square kilometre in Sri Lanka, year by year

Annual values for Primary education, pupils, per square kilometre in Sri Lanka, 1970 to 2023.
Year units per square kilometre Change
1970 26.65 units per square kilometre
1971 27.3 units per square kilometre +2.4%
1972 24.95 units per square kilometre -8.6%
1973 24.55 units per square kilometre -1.6%
1974 23.45 units per square kilometre -4.5%
1975 22.9 units per square kilometre -2.3%
1976 22.95 units per square kilometre +0.2%
1977 24.44 units per square kilometre +6.5%
1978 30.98 units per square kilometre +26.8%
1979 31.93 units per square kilometre +3.1%
1980 33.19 units per square kilometre +4.0%
1981 34.01 units per square kilometre +2.5%
1982 34.16 units per square kilometre +0.5%
1983 34.34 units per square kilometre +0.5%
1984 34.87 units per square kilometre +1.5%
1985 35.76 units per square kilometre +2.6%
1986 36.75 units per square kilometre +2.8%
1987 32.49 units per square kilometre -11.6%
1988 33.23 units per square kilometre +2.3%
1989 33.72 units per square kilometre +1.5%
1990 33.68 units per square kilometre -0.1%
1991 33.69 units per square kilometre +0.0%
1992 32.84 units per square kilometre -2.5%
1993 32.1 units per square kilometre -2.3%
1994 31.26 units per square kilometre -2.6%
1995 31.29 units per square kilometre +0.1%
1996 29.4 units per square kilometre -6.0%
1998 28.73 units per square kilometre -2.3%
2001 28.19 units per square kilometre -1.9%
2002 27.57 units per square kilometre -2.2%
2003 26.6 units per square kilometre -3.5%
2004 25.2 units per square kilometre -5.3%
2005 25.69 units per square kilometre +1.9%
2006 25.7 units per square kilometre +0.1%
2007 25.86 units per square kilometre +0.6%
2008 26.02 units per square kilometre +0.6%
2009 25.82 units per square kilometre -0.7%
2010 27.44 units per square kilometre +6.3%
2011 27.67 units per square kilometre +0.9%
2012 27.94 units per square kilometre +1.0%
2013 28.18 units per square kilometre +0.9%
2014 28.35 units per square kilometre +0.6%
2015 28.73 units per square kilometre +1.3%
2016 28.49 units per square kilometre -0.8%
2017 28.22 units per square kilometre -0.9%
2018 27.89 units per square kilometre -1.2%
2019 27.65 units per square kilometre -0.9%
2020 27.4 units per square kilometre -0.9%
2021 26.92 units per square kilometre -1.7%
2022 26.24 units per square kilometre -2.5%
2023 25.48 units per square kilometre -2.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 26.01 units per square kilometre 22.9 units per square kilometre 31.93 units per square kilometre 10
1980s 34.25 units per square kilometre 32.49 units per square kilometre 36.75 units per square kilometre 10
1990s 31.62 units per square kilometre 28.73 units per square kilometre 33.69 units per square kilometre 8
2000s 26.29 units per square kilometre 25.2 units per square kilometre 28.19 units per square kilometre 9
2010s 28.06 units per square kilometre 27.44 units per square kilometre 28.73 units per square kilometre 10
2020s 26.51 units per square kilometre 25.48 units per square kilometre 27.4 units per square kilometre 4

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 41 Sierra Leone 27.95 units per square kilometre compare
  2. 42 Republic of Korea 26.79 units per square kilometre compare
  3. 43 Belgium 26.71 units per square kilometre compare
  4. 45 Nepal 25.19 units per square kilometre compare
  5. 46 Trinidad and Tobago 25.14 units per square kilometre compare
  6. 47 Saint Lucia 24.49 units per square kilometre 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 square kilometre in Sri Lanka?
Primary education, pupils, per square kilometre in Sri Lanka was 25.48 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest primary education, pupils, per square kilometre recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 36.75 units per square kilometre in 1986.
What is the lowest primary education, pupils, per square kilometre recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 22.9 units per square kilometre in 1975.
How does Sri Lanka rank for primary education, pupils, per square kilometre?
Sri Lanka ranks 44th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
Is primary education, pupils, per square kilometre rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.6%. 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 square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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

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How this figure is calculated

Primary education, pupils divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.

Primary education, pupils ÷ Land area (sq. km)

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 square kilometre
Unit
units per square kilometre
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
251 places, 10,846 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

Primary education, pupils divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.