Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) was 6.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Sri Lanka, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Sri Lanka stood at 6.5%.
That represents a change of down 4.9% on the previous year and down 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Sri Lanka peaked at 22.9% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 6.2%, in 2012.
Sri Lanka ranks 81st of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 22.9% | — |
| 1992 | 22.6% | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 21.9% | -3.4% |
| 1994 | 20.5% | -6.3% |
| 1995 | 19.3% | -5.8% |
| 1996 | 17.7% | -8.0% |
| 1997 | 16.4% | -7.4% |
| 1998 | 13.7% | -16.6% |
| 1999 | 13.4% | -2.6% |
| 2000 | 11.5% | -14.1% |
| 2001 | 11.4% | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 13.0% | +14.1% |
| 2003 | 12.9% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 13.0% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 11.9% | -7.9% |
| 2006 | 9.9% | -16.7% |
| 2007 | 9.2% | -7.7% |
| 2008 | 8.2% | -10.1% |
| 2009 | 8.8% | +6.5% |
| 2010 | 7.5% | -14.9% |
| 2011 | 7.0% | -6.7% |
| 2012 | 6.2% | -11.7% |
| 2013 | 6.5% | +5.6% |
| 2014 | 6.3% | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 7.4% | +18.1% |
| 2016 | 6.8% | -8.2% |
| 2017 | 6.3% | -7.5% |
| 2018 | 7.0% | +10.2% |
| 2019 | 7.3% | +5.2% |
| 2020 | 8.3% | +12.5% |
| 2021 | 7.7% | -6.7% |
| 2022 | 6.3% | -18.6% |
| 2023 | 6.6% | +5.9% |
| 2024 | 6.8% | +2.5% |
| 2025 | 6.5% | -4.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 18.7% | 13.4% | 22.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 11.0% | 8.2% | 13.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.8% | 6.2% | 7.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.0% | 6.3% | 8.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 78 Uzbekistan 6.6% compare
- 79 Canada 6.6% compare
- 80 Portugal 6.5% compare
- 82 Luxembourg 6.5% compare
- 83 Channel Islands 6.5% compare
- 84 Honduras 6.4% 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 unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Sri Lanka?
- Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Sri Lanka was 6.5% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 22.9% in 1991.
- What is the lowest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.2% in 2012.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for unemployment, female (% of female labor force)?
- Sri Lanka ranks 81st out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.