Sri Lanka: Primary education, teachers

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Sri Lanka's primary education, teachers rose 2.3% on 2022 (from 71,668 to 73,333).

Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1977 to 2022), the average change was +1% and a typical year strayed about 4.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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 20.1% in 1978 and the biggest yearly fall was 7.7% 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 2014 to 2023 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 25% 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 15th highest value of the 40 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

• Angola — 12th of 40: 96,016
• Tunisia — 13th of 40: 84,596
• Belgium — 14th of 40: 80,763
• Greece — 16th of 40: 70,680
• Mali — 17th of 40: 59,920
• Portugal — 18th of 40: 52,131

What this measures

Primary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at primary level, including full-time and part-time teachers.

Limitations: The precision of this indicator can be influenced by the enumeration method used, such as headcount or 'full-time equivalent' count of teachers.

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

All 31 values

Primary education, teachers in nearby economies

• Bangladesh — 383,624 (2024)
• Bhutan — 3,372 (2024)
• India — 5.19 million (2025)
• Maldives — 4,691 (2024)
• Nepal — 157,456 (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 primary education, teachers?

73,333 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1976?

It is up 52.47% from 48,096 in 1976 (0.9% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 78,641 in 2019 and the lowest 48,096 in 1976.

How does Sri Lanka rank?

15th highest of 40 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in primary education, teachers unusual for Sri Lanka?

In 2023, Sri Lanka's primary education, teachers rose 2.3% on 2022 (from 71,668 to 73,333). Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1977 to 2022), the average change was +1% and a typical year strayed about 4.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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.TCHR, 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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