School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) (both) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) (both) was 12.66 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
12.66 years
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
118th
of 186 countries
All-time high
13.44 years
in 2018
All-time low
8.14 years
in 1974
Years of data
21
1970–2023
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Sri Lanka, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Sri Lanka stood at 12.66 years.
The figure is down 1.6% on the previous year and down 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Sri Lanka peaked at 13.44 years in 2018 and was at its lowest, 8.14 years, in 1974.
Sri Lanka ranks 118th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) (both) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 8.72 years | — |
| 1971 | 8.95 years | +2.6% |
| 1973 | 8.54 years | -4.5% |
| 1974 | 8.14 years | -4.8% |
| 1981 | 10.07 years | +23.7% |
| 1982 | 10.17 years | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 10.32 years | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 10.52 years | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 10.65 years | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 10.78 years | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 12.19 years | +13.1% |
| 2010 | 13.13 years | +7.7% |
| 2011 | 13.2 years | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 13.27 years | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 13.39 years | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 13.24 years | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 13.27 years | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 13.44 years | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 13.16 years | -2.1% |
| 2022 | 12.87 years | -2.2% |
| 2023 | 12.66 years | -1.6% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 12.66 years is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 14.13 years, 90% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 12.66 years is below the median for South Asia, which is 13.02 years, 97% of the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 8.59 years | 8.14 years | 8.95 years | 4 |
| 1980s | 10.42 years | 10.07 years | 10.78 years | 6 |
| 1990s | 12.19 years | 12.19 years | 12.19 years | 1 |
| 2010s | 13.28 years | 13.13 years | 13.44 years | 7 |
| 2020s | 12.89 years | 12.66 years | 13.16 years | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 115 Rwanda 12.93 years compare
- 116 Seychelles 12.81 years compare
- 117 Eswatini 12.73 years compare
- 119 Jamaica 12.58 years compare
- 120 Saint Lucia 12.55 years compare
- 121 British Virgin Islands 12.54 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 to tertiary, both sexes in Sri Lanka?
- School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Sri Lanka was 12.66 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 13.44 years in 2018.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.14 years in 1974.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes?
- Sri Lanka ranks 118th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.5%. 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 to tertiary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release