Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female was 93.1% in 2018. ▬ Flat

Latest (2018)
93.1%
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
24th
of 39 countries
All-time high
93.7%
in 2016
All-time low
91.1%
in 1981
Years of data
8
1981–2018

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Sri Lanka, 1981–2018

0204060801001981199920181981: 91.1 %2001: 92.5 %2006: 92.7 %2008: 91.8 %2010: 92.7 %2016: 93.7 %2017: 93.5 %2018: 93.1 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Sri Lanka recorded 93.1% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in 2018.

That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and up 1.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Sri Lanka peaked at 93.7% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 91.1%, in 1981.

Sri Lanka ranks 24th of 39 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Sri Lanka, year by year

Annual values for Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female (%) in Sri Lanka, 1981 to 2018.
Year % Change
1981 91.1%
2001 92.5% +1.6%
2006 92.7% +0.2%
2008 91.8% -1.0%
2010 92.7% +1.0%
2016 93.7% +1.1%
2017 93.5% -0.2%
2018 93.1% -0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 91.1% 91.1% 91.1% 1
2000s 92.3% 91.8% 92.7% 3
2010s 93.3% 92.7% 93.7% 4

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 21 Qatar 94.7% compare
  2. 22 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 94.2% compare
  3. 23 Türkiye 93.6% compare
  4. 25 Honduras 92.2% compare
  5. 26 South Africa 91.3% compare
  6. 27 El Salvador 91.1% compare

See the full ranking of 39 places →

More reference data data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Sri Lanka?
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Sri Lanka was 93.1% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 93.7% in 2016.
What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 91.1% in 1981.
How does Sri Lanka rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female?
Sri Lanka ranks 24th out of 39 countries with data for 2018.
Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Sri Lanka. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/adult-literacy-rate-population-15-years-urban-female-percent/sri-lanka/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
39 places, 366 data points, 1976–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of females in urban areas over age 15 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/