Share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. GDP per capita in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. GDP per capita was 9.1% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. GDP per capita in Sri Lanka, 1977–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 9.1% for share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. gdp per capita in 2023.
The figure is up 17.8% on the previous year and up 34.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. gdp per capita in Sri Lanka peaked at 20.6% in 1977 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 2019.
That places Sri Lanka 57th out of 203 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. GDP per capita in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 20.6% | — |
| 1986 | 1.9% | -90.6% |
| 2001 | 3.2% | +62.3% |
| 2002 | 4.3% | +35.0% |
| 2003 | 5.8% | +35.6% |
| 2004 | 7.8% | +35.3% |
| 2005 | 8.0% | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 7.9% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 7.6% | -3.6% |
| 2008 | 7.6% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 9.0% | +17.9% |
| 2010 | 7.1% | -20.9% |
| 2011 | 7.2% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 7.5% | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 6.8% | -9.1% |
| 2014 | 6.4% | -6.3% |
| 2015 | 3.9% | -38.0% |
| 2016 | 3.8% | -3.8% |
| 2017 | 4.1% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | 4.6% | +12.8% |
| 2019 | 0.5% | -89.4% |
| 2020 | 0.7% | +49.8% |
| 2021 | 2.0% | +166.9% |
| 2022 | 7.8% | +294.2% |
| 2023 | 9.1% | +17.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 20.6% | 20.6% | 20.6% | 1 |
| 1980s | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 6.8% | 3.2% | 9.0% | 9 |
| 2010s | 5.2% | 0.5% | 7.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.9% | 0.7% | 9.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 54 Benin 9.6% compare
- 55 Palestine, State of 9.6% compare
- 56 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 9.3% compare
- 58 Kiribati 8.7% compare
- 59 Mongolia 8.6% compare
- 60 Martinique 8.5% compare
More education data for Sri Lanka
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.58 million (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -2.89 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. gdp per capita in Sri Lanka?
- Share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. gdp per capita in Sri Lanka was 9.1% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. gdp per capita recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 20.6% in 1977.
- What is the lowest share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. gdp per capita recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 2019.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. gdp per capita?
- Sri Lanka ranks 57th out of 203 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.7%. 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 primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Children of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) not enrolled in any level of education, expressed as a percentage of all children in that age group.