Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) was 73,333 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
73,333
Change on year
up 2.3%
World rank
70th
of 216 countries
All-time high
78,641
in 2019
All-time low
48,096
in 1976
Years of data
31
1976–2023
Teachers in primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka, 1976–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 73,333 for teachers in primary education, both sexes in 2023.
The figure is up 2.3% on the previous year and down 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, teachers in primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka peaked at 78,641 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 48,096, in 1976.
Sri Lanka ranks 70th of 216 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.
Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 48,096 | — |
| 1977 | 50,665 | +5.3% |
| 1978 | 60,835 | +20.1% |
| 1992 | 69,965 | +15.0% |
| 1993 | 70,008 | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 70,108 | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 70,537 | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 66,339 | -6.0% |
| 2001 | 67,265 | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 69,570 | +3.4% |
| 2003 | 71,201 | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 70,236 | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 73,471 | +4.6% |
| 2006 | 68,657 | -6.6% |
| 2007 | 68,114 | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 69,436 | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 69,948 | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 71,957 | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 72,114 | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 71,721 | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 74,415 | +3.8% |
| 2014 | 75,143 | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 76,803 | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 76,426 | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 76,173 | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 78,389 | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 78,641 | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 77,927 | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 71,903 | -7.7% |
| 2022 | 71,668 | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 73,333 | +2.3% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 73,333 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 24,978, 2.9× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 73,333 is below the median for South Asia, which is 115,394, 64% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 53,199 | 48,096 | 60,835 | 3 |
| 1990s | 69,391 | 66,339 | 70,537 | 5 |
| 2000s | 69,766 | 67,265 | 73,471 | 9 |
| 2010s | 75,178 | 71,721 | 78,641 | 10 |
| 2020s | 73,708 | 71,668 | 77,927 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
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 teachers in primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka?
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes in Sri Lanka was 73,333 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest teachers in primary education, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 78,641 in 2019.
- What is the lowest teachers in primary education, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 48,096 in 1976.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for teachers in primary education, both sexes?
- Sri Lanka ranks 70th out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Is teachers in primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.5%. 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 Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release