Sri Lanka: Current education expenditure, primary (% of total expenditure in primary public institutions)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Sri Lanka's current education expenditure, primary (% of total expenditure in primary public institutions) rose 7.04 percentage points on 2019 (from 90.69% to 97.73%).

Across the 10 yearly changes before that (2010 to 2019), the average change was −0.24 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 9.54 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 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 12.15 percentage points in 2017 and the biggest yearly fall was 21.78 percentage points in 2016. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2011 to 2020 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains less than 1% 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.

Closest to Sri Lanka in the 2020 ranking

• Guinea — 1st of 2: 98.62%

What this measures

Current expenditure is expressed as a percentage of direct expenditure in public educational institutions (instructional and non-instructional) of the specified level of education. Financial aid to students and other transfers are excluded from direct expenditure. Current expenditure is consumed within the current year and would have to be renewed if needed in the following year. It includes staff compensation and current expenditure other than for staff compensation (ex. on teaching materials, ancillary services and administration).

Limitations: The indicator depends on comprehensive and accurate data regarding government expenditure by type and nature of spending. In some cases, data on total government expenditure on education only includes the Ministry of Education, excluding other ministries that may also allocate part of their budget to educational services.

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

All 13 values

Current education expenditure, primary (% of total expenditure in primary public institutions) in nearby economies

• Maldives — 99.22% (2019)

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

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Questions people ask

What is Sri Lanka's current education expenditure, primary (% of total expenditure in primary public institutions)?

97.73% in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2002?

It is up 39.44 percentage points from 58.29% in 2002. The highest value was 97.73% in 2020 and the lowest 58.29% in 2002.

Is the latest change in current education expenditure, primary (% of total expenditure in primary public institutions) unusual for Sri Lanka?

In 2020, Sri Lanka's current education expenditure, primary (% of total expenditure in primary public institutions) rose 7.04 percentage points on 2019 (from 90.69% to 97.73%). Across the 10 yearly changes before that (2010 to 2019), the average change was −0.24 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 9.54 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 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.XPD.CPRM.ZS, 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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