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

Key figures

Over five years it is up 3 percentage points from 62.3% in 2019. Since 1971 it is up 53.65 percentage points from 11.65% in 1971. The World Bank has no value for 42 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.52 percentage points in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.14 percentage points in 2021. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.44 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 80% of the movement over 9 observed years.

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

How it compares

In 2024, Sri Lanka had the 18th 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 2024 ranking

• Chile — 14th of 37: 69.84%
• North Macedonia — 15th of 37: 68.69%
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 16th of 37: 66.34%
• Brazil — 18th of 37: 61.73%
• Colombia — 19th of 37: 58.82%
• Peru — 20th of 37: 58.27%

What this measures

The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed upper secondary 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 do not necessarily reveal the quality of the education (learning achievement and other impacts).

All 12 values

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

• Bangladesh — 33.66% (2021)

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
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Questions people ask

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

65.3% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 53.65 percentage points from 11.65% in 1971. The highest value was 74.03% in 2009 and the lowest 11.65% in 1971.

How does Sri Lanka rank?

18th highest of 37 economies with data for 2024.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, 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..

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.SEC.CUAT.UP.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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