Sri Lanka: Educational attainment, at least completed post-secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative)

Key figures

Over five years it is up 1.01 percentage points from 4.1% in 2017. Since 2001 it is down 30.19 percentage points from 35.3% in 2001. The World Bank has no value for 10 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2022, Sri Lanka's educational attainment, at least completed post-secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative) rose 0.08 percentage points on 2021 (from 5.03% to 5.11%).

Across the 8 yearly changes before that (2007 to 2021), the average change was +0.46 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.48 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 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 1.56 percentage points in 2007. 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.

Closest to Sri Lanka in the 2022 ranking

• Malaysia — 5th of 9: 25.64%
• North Macedonia — 6th of 9: 22.54%
• Albania — 7th of 9: 20.43%
• Mali — 9th of 9: 3.9%

What this measures

The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed post-secondary non-tertiary education.

Limitations: Caution is required when using this indicator for cross-country comparison, since the countries do not always classify degrees and qualifications at the same International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) levels, even if they are received at roughly the same age or after a similar number of years of schooling. Also, certain educational programmes and study courses cannot be easily classified according to ISCED. This indicator only measures educational attainment in terms of level of education attained, i.e. years of schooling, and does not necessarily reveal the quality of the education (learning achievement and other impacts).

All 12 values

Educational attainment, at least completed post-secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative) in nearby economies

• Bangladesh — 8.08% (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

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Questions people ask

What is Sri Lanka's educational attainment, at least completed post-secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative)?

5.11% in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2001?

It is down 30.19 percentage points from 35.3% in 2001. The highest value was 35.3% in 2001 and the lowest 3.92% in 2016.

Is the latest change in educational attainment, at least completed post-secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative) unusual for Sri Lanka?

In 2022, Sri Lanka's educational attainment, at least completed post-secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative) rose 0.08 percentage points on 2021 (from 5.03% to 5.11%). Across the 8 yearly changes before that (2007 to 2021), the average change was +0.46 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.48 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 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.SEC.CUAT.PO.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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