Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes was 38,104 number in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)
38,104 number
Change on year
up 6.3%
World rank
46th
of 86 countries
All-time high
281,859 number
in 1981
All-time low
35,858 number
in 2017
Years of data
8
1981–2018

Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Sri Lanka, 1981–2018

50.0k100.0k150.0k200.0k250.0k300.0k1981199920181981: 281.9k number2001: 158.4k number2006: 85.5k number2008: 66.8k number2010: 59.8k number2016: 41.1k number2017: 35.9k number2018: 38.1k number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

The most recent figure for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Sri Lanka is 38,104 number, measured in 2018.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.3% on the previous year and down 43.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Sri Lanka peaked at 281,859 number in 1981 and was at its lowest, 35,858 number, in 2017.

Sri Lanka ranks 46th of 86 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Sri Lanka, year by year

Annual values for Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes (number) in Sri Lanka, 1981 to 2018.
Year number Change
1981 281,859 number
2001 158,378 number -43.8%
2006 85,484 number -46.0%
2008 66,833 number -21.8%
2010 59,799 number -10.5%
2016 41,137 number -31.2%
2017 35,858 number -12.8%
2018 38,104 number +6.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 281,859 number 281,859 number 281,859 number 1
2000s 103,565 number 66,833 number 158,378 number 3
2010s 43,724 number 35,858 number 59,799 number 4

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 43 Tunisia 67,069 number compare
  2. 44 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 63,331 number compare
  3. 45 Peru 51,730 number compare
  4. 47 Argentina 35,374 number compare
  5. 48 Saudi Arabia 33,779 number compare
  6. 49 Türkiye 33,225 number compare

See the full ranking of 125 places →

More education data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Sri Lanka?
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Sri Lanka was 38,104 number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 281,859 number in 1981.
What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 35,858 number in 2017.
How does Sri Lanka rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes?
Sri Lanka ranks 46th out of 86 countries with data for 2018.
Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is down 43.0%. 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, published as part of Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Sri Lanka. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/youth-illiterate-population-15-24-years-both-sexes-number/sri-lanka/

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About this data

Indicator
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
125 places, 2,250 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of youth between age 15 and age 24 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life.