Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher was 5.1% in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher in Sri Lanka, 2001–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 5.1% for share of the population with post-secondary education or higher in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and down 82.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with post-secondary education or higher in Sri Lanka peaked at 35.3% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 3.9%, in 2016.
Sri Lanka ranks 104th of 110 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 35.3% | — |
| 2006 | 27.1% | -23.3% |
| 2007 | 28.7% | +5.8% |
| 2008 | 29.3% | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 29.6% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 3.9% | -86.8% |
| 2017 | 4.1% | +4.5% |
| 2018 | 4.2% | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 4.5% | +6.7% |
| 2020 | 4.7% | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 5.0% | +8.0% |
| 2022 | 5.1% | +1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 30.0% | 27.1% | 35.3% | 5 |
| 2010s | 4.2% | 3.9% | 4.5% | 4 |
| 2020s | 4.9% | 4.7% | 5.1% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More education data for Sri Lanka
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of lower secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- 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 years (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population with post-secondary education or higher in Sri Lanka?
- Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher in Sri Lanka was 5.1% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population with post-secondary education or higher recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 35.3% in 2001.
- What is the lowest share of the population with post-secondary education or higher recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.9% in 2016.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for share of the population with post-secondary education or higher?
- Sri Lanka ranks 104th out of 110 countries with data for 2022.
- Is share of the population with post-secondary education or higher rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 82.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of adults aged 25 and older who have completed post-secondary or tertiary education.