Sri Lanka: Secondary education, teachers

Key figures

Over five years it is unchanged at from 155,543 in 2018. Since 1987 it is up 78.85% from 86,970 in 1987 (1.63% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 18 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2023, Sri Lanka's secondary education, teachers rose 0.5% on 2022 (from 154,774 to 155,543).

Across the 15 yearly changes before that (1988 to 2022), the average change was +1.5% and a typical year strayed about 5.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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 19.9% in 1990 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.9% in 1991. 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 2023 the straight-line trend is upward, about 555.76 a year. A straight line explains 31% of the movement over 8 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 2023, Sri Lanka had the 10th highest value of the 39 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

• United Kingdom — 7th of 39: 388,714
• South Africa — 8th of 39: 181,739
• Kenya — 9th of 39: 168,396
• Belgium — 11th of 39: 137,795
• Romania — 12th of 39: 125,405
• Cameroon — 13th of 39: 118,092

What this measures

Secondary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at secondary 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 19 values

Secondary education, teachers in nearby economies

• Bangladesh — 571,690 (2024)
• Bhutan — 6,995 (2023)
• India — 7.31 million (2025)
• Maldives — 3,474 (2022)
• Nepal — 124,257 (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
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Sri Lanka's secondary education, teachers?

155,543 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1987?

It is up 78.85% from 86,970 in 1987 (1.63% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 158,190 in 2019 and the lowest 86,970 in 1987.

How does Sri Lanka rank?

10th highest of 39 economies with data for 2023.

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

In 2023, Sri Lanka's secondary education, teachers rose 0.5% on 2022 (from 154,774 to 155,543). Across the 15 yearly changes before that (1988 to 2022), the average change was +1.5% and a typical year strayed about 5.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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.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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