Sri Lanka: Children out of school, primary

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Sri Lanka's children out of school, primary rose 16.3% on 2022 (from 135,382 to 157,499).

Across the 21 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2022), the average change was +135.1% and a typical year strayed about 508.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2,318.2% in 2014 and the biggest yearly fall was 96.4% in 2013. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 5% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Sri Lanka had the 8th highest value of the 37 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Sri Lanka in the 2023 ranking

• Russian Federation — 5th of 37: 187,975
• Congo, Rep. — 6th of 37: 171,125
• Romania — 7th of 37: 160,246
• Canada — 9th of 37: 127,666
• Ecuador — 10th of 37: 86,090
• West Bank and Gaza — 11th of 37: 53,793

What this measures

Children out of school are the number of primary-school-age children not enrolled in primary or secondary school.

Limitations: Due to different data sources for enrollment and population data, the number may not capture the actual number of children not attending in primary school.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 25 values

Children out of school, primary in nearby economies

• Bangladesh — 918,575 (2024)
• Bhutan — 8,385 (2024)
• India — 134,967 (2025)
• Maldives — 417.77 (2024)
• Nepal — 21,146 (2025)

More education data for Sri Lanka

• Primary school starting age (years) — 5 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 5 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 10 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 8 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 1.58 million (2023)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 91.45% (2023)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 92.09% (2023)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 90.84% (2023)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1 (2020)
• Secondary education, general pupils

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Sri Lanka's children out of school, primary?

157,499 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1977?

It is down 56.17% from 359,350 in 1977 (1.78% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 359,350 in 1977 and the lowest 3,099 in 2018.

How does Sri Lanka rank?

8th highest of 37 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in children out of school, primary unusual for Sri Lanka?

In 2023, Sri Lanka's children out of school, primary rose 16.3% on 2022 (from 135,382 to 157,499). Across the 21 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2022), the average change was +135.1% and a typical year strayed about 508.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.UNER, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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