School age population, primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: School age population, primary education, both sexes was 1.69 million number in 2020. ▬ Flat
Latest (2020)
1.69 million number
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
72nd
of 206 countries
All-time high
1.92 million number
in 1990
All-time low
1.62 million number
in 2005
Years of data
51
1970–2020
School age population, primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka, 1970–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
In 2020, school age population, primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka stood at 1.69 million number.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka peaked at 1.92 million number in 1990 and was at its lowest, 1.62 million number, in 2005.
That places Sri Lanka 72nd out of 206 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
School age population, primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.65 million number | — |
| 1971 | 1.66 million number | +0.6% |
| 1972 | 1.68 million number | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 1.70 million number | +1.2% |
| 1974 | 1.72 million number | +1.4% |
| 1975 | 1.74 million number | +1.2% |
| 1976 | 1.76 million number | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 1.77 million number | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 1.76 million number | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 1.76 million number | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 1.75 million number | -0.5% |
| 1981 | 1.75 million number | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 1.75 million number | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 1.78 million number | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 1.81 million number | +1.8% |
| 1985 | 1.84 million number | +1.9% |
| 1986 | 1.87 million number | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 1.89 million number | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 1.91 million number | +0.9% |
| 1989 | 1.92 million number | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 1.92 million number | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 1.92 million number | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 1.91 million number | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 1.88 million number | -1.5% |
| 1994 | 1.84 million number | -2.2% |
| 1995 | 1.79 million number | -2.4% |
| 1996 | 1.76 million number | -2.1% |
| 1997 | 1.72 million number | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 1.68 million number | -2.2% |
| 1999 | 1.67 million number | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 1.65 million number | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 1.64 million number | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 1.63 million number | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 1.62 million number | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 1.62 million number | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 1.62 million number | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 1.63 million number | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 1.65 million number | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 1.68 million number | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 1.71 million number | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 1.73 million number | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 1.74 million number | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 1.75 million number | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 1.76 million number | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 1.75 million number | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 1.75 million number | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 1.74 million number | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 1.74 million number | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 1.72 million number | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 1.71 million number | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 1.69 million number | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.72 million number | 1.65 million number | 1.77 million number | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.83 million number | 1.75 million number | 1.92 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.81 million number | 1.67 million number | 1.92 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.64 million number | 1.62 million number | 1.71 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.74 million number | 1.71 million number | 1.76 million number | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.69 million number | 1.69 million number | 1.69 million number | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 69 Ecuador 1.89 million number compare
- 70 South Sudan 1.79 million number compare
- 71 Ukraine 1.70 million number compare
- 73 North Korea 1.67 million number compare
- 74 Chile 1.52 million number compare
- 75 Kazakhstan 1.51 million number compare
More education data for Sri Lanka
- Theoretical duration of upper secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of secondary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,024 tertiary education (2024)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0494 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 73,333 (2023)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 2 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 65.8% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 21.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka?
- School age population, primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka was 1.69 million number in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 1.92 million number in 1990.
- What is the lowest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.62 million number in 2005.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for school age population, primary education, both sexes?
- Sri Lanka ranks 72nd out of 206 countries with data for 2020.
- Is school age population, primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. 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 School age population, primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population of the age-group theoretically corresponding to primary education as indicated by theoretical entrance age and duration.