Sri Lanka's children out of school, primary, male was 84,993 in 2023, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 42.08% from 59,820 in 2013 (3.57% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 84,993 | 2023 |
| Five years earlier | 41,065 | 2018 |
| Ten years earlier | 59,820 | 2013 |
| Highest | 92,223 | 2004 |
| Lowest | 29,051 | 2001 |
| Average since 2014 | 51,049 | 2014–2023 |
| First recorded | 29,051 | 2001 |
What the numbers say
In 2023, Sri Lanka's children out of school, primary, male rose 10.4% on 2022 (from 77,020 to 84,993).
Across the 17 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2022), the average change was +5.2% and a typical year strayed about 27.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above 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 84.3% in 2004 and the biggest yearly fall was 41.6% in 2015. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
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 30 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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | 84,993 | 2023 |
| Upper middle income | 5.22 million | 2025 |
Closest to Sri Lanka in the 2023 ranking
- South Africa — 5th of 30: 229,187
- Russian Federation — 6th of 30: 109,598
- Congo, Rep. — 7th of 30: 87,114
- Romania — 9th of 30: 81,630
- Uzbekistan — 10th of 30: 69,541
- Canada — 11th of 30: 66,718
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 20 values
| Year | Children out of school, primary, male |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 84,993 |
| 2022 | 77,020 |
| 2021 | no data |
| 2020 | no data |
| 2019 | no data |
| 2018 | 41,065 |
| 2017 | 34,823 |
| 2016 | 30,752 |
| 2015 | 32,693 |
| 2014 | 55,999 |
| 2013 |
Children out of school, primary, male in nearby economies
- Bangladesh — 354,030 (2018)
- Bhutan — 5,852 (2024)
- India — 815,165 (2023)
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
Questions people ask
- What is Sri Lanka's children out of school, primary, male?
- 84,993 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 2001?
- It is up 192.57% from 29,051 in 2001 (5% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 92,223 in 2004 and the lowest 29,051 in 2001.
- How does Sri Lanka rank?
- 8th highest of 30 economies with data for 2023.
- Is the latest change in children out of school, primary, male unusual for Sri Lanka?
- In 2023, Sri Lanka's children out of school, primary, male rose 10.4% on 2022 (from 77,020 to 84,993). Across the 17 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2022), the average change was +5.2% and a typical year strayed about 27.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above 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.MA, 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.
Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.
Legal entity
Devansh Yadav
Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh
Governing law: Courts at Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh
Phone: +91 8433475698
Legal: legal@analyzeit.in