School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years) was 11.59 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
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 (years) 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% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 11.59 years is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 11.53 years, 1.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 11.59 years is above the median for South Asia, which is 11.39 years, 1.0× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years) in Sri Lanka changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +28.0% | 7.6 years | 9.73 years |
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
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 155,543 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 224,799 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 214,300 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.54 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.58 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -2.89 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0715 units per person (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