School age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: School age population, tertiary education, both sexes was 1.54 million number in 2019. ▲ Rising
Latest (2019)
1.54 million number
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
61st
of 203 countries
All-time high
1.82 million number
in 2001
All-time low
1.22 million number
in 1970
Years of data
50
1970–2019
School age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka, 1970–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka is 1.54 million number, measured in 2019.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and down 4.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka peaked at 1.82 million number in 2001 and was at its lowest, 1.22 million number, in 1970.
Sri Lanka ranks 61st of 203 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
School age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.22 million number | — |
| 1971 | 1.24 million number | +1.6% |
| 1972 | 1.26 million number | +2.0% |
| 1973 | 1.30 million number | +2.8% |
| 1974 | 1.34 million number | +3.3% |
| 1975 | 1.39 million number | +3.7% |
| 1976 | 1.44 million number | +3.8% |
| 1977 | 1.49 million number | +3.2% |
| 1978 | 1.52 million number | +2.3% |
| 1979 | 1.55 million number | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 1.56 million number | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 1.56 million number | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 1.57 million number | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 1.58 million number | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 1.60 million number | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 1.62 million number | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 1.64 million number | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 1.66 million number | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 1.68 million number | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 1.68 million number | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 1.68 million number | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 1.67 million number | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 1.67 million number | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 1.68 million number | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 1.70 million number | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 1.72 million number | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 1.74 million number | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 1.75 million number | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 1.77 million number | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 1.79 million number | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 1.81 million number | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 1.82 million number | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 1.82 million number | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 1.81 million number | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 1.79 million number | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 1.75 million number | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 1.71 million number | -2.8% |
| 2007 | 1.66 million number | -2.5% |
| 2008 | 1.63 million number | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 1.61 million number | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 1.60 million number | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 1.59 million number | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 1.58 million number | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 1.58 million number | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 1.57 million number | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 1.56 million number | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 1.54 million number | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 1.53 million number | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 1.53 million number | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 1.54 million number | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.37 million number | 1.22 million number | 1.55 million number | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.61 million number | 1.56 million number | 1.68 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.72 million number | 1.67 million number | 1.79 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.74 million number | 1.61 million number | 1.82 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.56 million number | 1.53 million number | 1.60 million number | 10 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
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, tertiary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka?
- School age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka was 1.54 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, tertiary education, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 1.82 million number in 2001.
- What is the lowest school age population, tertiary education, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.22 million number in 1970.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for school age population, tertiary education, both sexes?
- Sri Lanka ranks 61st out of 203 countries with data for 2019.
- Is school age population, tertiary education, both sexes rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.1%. 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 School age population, tertiary 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 tertiary education as indicated by theoretical entrance age and duration.