School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes was 11.59 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
11.59 years
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
107th
of 213 countries
All-time high
12.49 years
in 2018
All-time low
7.6 years
in 1976
Years of data
34
1970–2023
School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Sri Lanka, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Sri Lanka is 11.59 years, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 7.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Sri Lanka peaked at 12.49 years in 2018 and was at its lowest, 7.6 years, in 1976.
That places Sri Lanka 107th out of 213 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 8.67 years | — |
| 1971 | 8.89 years | +2.5% |
| 1972 | 8.64 years | -2.8% |
| 1973 | 8.49 years | -1.8% |
| 1974 | 8.08 years | -4.8% |
| 1976 | 7.6 years | -6.0% |
| 1980 | 9.73 years | +28.0% |
| 1981 | 9.92 years | +2.0% |
| 1982 | 9.98 years | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 10.11 years | +1.4% |
| 1984 | 10.3 years | +1.8% |
| 1985 | 10.45 years | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 10.58 years | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 10.85 years | +2.6% |
| 1988 | 11.03 years | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 11.23 years | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 11.39 years | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 11.54 years | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 11.68 years | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 11.8 years | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 11.95 years | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 12.1 years | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 12.28 years | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 12.41 years | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 12.45 years | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 12.47 years | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 12.35 years | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 12.43 years | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 12.38 years | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 12.36 years | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 12.49 years | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 11.9 years | -4.7% |
| 2022 | 11.69 years | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 11.59 years | -0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 8.39 years | 7.6 years | 8.89 years | 6 |
| 1980s | 10.42 years | 9.73 years | 11.23 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.74 years | 11.39 years | 12.1 years | 6 |
| 2010s | 12.4 years | 12.28 years | 12.49 years | 9 |
| 2020s | 11.73 years | 11.59 years | 11.9 years | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 104 Trinidad and Tobago 11.65 years compare
- 105 United States 11.65 years compare
- 106 Qatar 11.63 years compare
- 108 New Caledonia 11.56 years compare
- 109 Gibraltar 11.55 years compare
- 110 Thailand 11.54 years compare
More education data for Sri Lanka
- 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)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 358,218 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) -5.98 % change on previous year (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 64,434 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 8,899 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 222,100 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) -5.62 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Sri Lanka?
- School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Sri Lanka was 11.59 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 12.49 years in 2018.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.6 years in 1976.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes?
- Sri Lanka ranks 107th out of 213 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.1%. 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 life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release