Literacy rate, adult female in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Literacy rate, adult female was 92.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult female in Sri Lanka, 1981–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of females ages 15 and above.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate, adult female in Sri Lanka is 92.1%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult female in Sri Lanka peaked at 92.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 82.0%, in 1981.
That places Sri Lanka 43rd out of 89 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Literacy rate, adult female in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of females ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 82.0% | — |
| 2001 | 89.1% | +8.7% |
| 2006 | 89.1% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 89.1% | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 90.0% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 91.7% | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 91.7% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 91.5% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 91.0% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 90.8% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 91.6% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 91.6% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 91.6% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 91.8% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 92.0% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 92.1% | +0.1% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 92.1% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 94.8%, 97% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 92.1% is above the median for South Asia, which is 76.5%, 1.2× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 82.0% | 82.0% | 82.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 89.1% | 89.1% | 89.1% | 3 |
| 2010s | 91.2% | 90.0% | 91.7% | 7 |
| 2020s | 91.8% | 91.6% | 92.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More gender data for Sri Lanka
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 4,804 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.8687 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 18,964 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 18,964 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.7411 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 155,366 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 162,031 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 156,342 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 163,015 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 157,484 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult female in Sri Lanka?
- Literacy rate, adult female in Sri Lanka was 92.1% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 92.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 82.0% in 1981.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for literacy rate, adult female?
- Sri Lanka ranks 43rd out of 89 countries with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, adult female rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Literacy rate, adult female (% of females ages 15 and above). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.