Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying was 24,118 number in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
24,118 number
Change on year
up 15.5%
World rank
51st
of 205 countries
All-time high
24,118 number
in 2018
All-time low
5,997 number
in 1998
Years of data
21
1998–2018

Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in Sri Lanka, 1998–2018

5.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k25.0k1998200820181998: 6.0k number1999: 6.2k number2000: 6.7k number2001: 7.3k number2002: 8.9k number2003: 9.8k number2004: 9.5k number2005: 10.1k number2006: 11.2k number2007: 13.2k number2008: 15.6k number2009: 16.6k number2010: 16.9k number2011: 16.6k number2012: 16.4k number2013: 16.0k number2014: 16.3k number2015: 17.4k number2016: 18.8k number2017: 20.9k number2018: 24.1k number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

The most recent figure for total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in Sri Lanka is 24,118 number, measured in 2018. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 15.5% on the previous year and up 54.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in Sri Lanka peaked at 24,118 number in 2018 and was at its lowest, 5,997 number, in 1998.

Sri Lanka ranks 51st of 205 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.

Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in Sri Lanka, year by year

Annual values for Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroad, all countries, both sexes (number) in Sri Lanka, 1998 to 2018.
Year number Change
1998 5,997 number —
1999 6,233 number +3.9%
2000 6,711 number +7.7%
2001 7,290 number +8.6%
2002 8,943 number +22.7%
2003 9,841 number +10.0%
2004 9,475 number -3.7%
2005 10,079 number +6.4%
2006 11,166 number +10.8%
2007 13,194 number +18.2%
2008 15,567 number +18.0%
2009 16,560 number +6.4%
2010 16,923 number +2.2%
2011 16,583 number -2.0%
2012 16,442 number -0.9%
2013 16,042 number -2.4%
2014 16,253 number +1.3%
2015 17,354 number +6.8%
2016 18,751 number +8.1%
2017 20,876 number +11.3%
2018 24,118 number +15.5%

Sri Lanka compared with similar countries

  • Sri Lanka's 24,118 number is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 10,800 number, 2.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
  • Sri Lanka's 24,118 number is below the median for South Asia, which is 37,061 number, 65% of the median. (6 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 6,115 number 5,997 number 6,233 number 2
2000s 10,883 number 6,711 number 16,560 number 10
2010s 18,149 number 16,042 number 24,118 number 9

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 48 Cameroon 26,169 number compare
  2. 49 Bulgaria 25,093 number compare
  3. 50 Kuwait 24,694 number compare
  4. 52 Singapore 23,752 number compare
  5. 53 Tunisia 23,730 number compare
  6. 54 Ecuador 23,110 number compare

See the full ranking of 250 places →

More education data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in Sri Lanka?
Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in Sri Lanka was 24,118 number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 24,118 number in 2018.
What is the lowest total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 5,997 number in 1998.
How does Sri Lanka rank for total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying?
Sri Lanka ranks 51st out of 205 countries with data for 2018.
Is total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is up 54.9%. 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 Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroad, all countries, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in Sri Lanka. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 27 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/total-outbound-internationally-mobile-tertiary-students-studying-abroad-all-countries/sri-lanka/

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About this data

Indicator
Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroad, all countries, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
250 places, 5,215 data points, 1997–2018
Last refreshed

Students who have crossed a national or territorial border for the purpose of education and are now enrolled outside their country of origin.