Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 80.9% in 2016. ◆ Volatile
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Sri Lanka, 1987–2016
Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children under 6 months.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 80.9% for exclusive breastfeeding rate in 2016. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
That represents a change of up 6.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exclusive breastfeeding rate in Sri Lanka peaked at 80.9% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 10.2%, in 1987.
Sri Lanka ranks 1st of 72 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 10.2% | 10.2% | 10.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 17.1% | 17.1% | 17.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 64.2% | 52.6% | 75.8% | 2 |
| 2010s | 80.9% | 80.9% | 80.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More reference data data for Sri Lanka
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Frequently asked questions
- What is exclusive breastfeeding rate in Sri Lanka?
- Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Sri Lanka was 80.9% in 2016, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 80.9% in 2016.
- What is the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.2% in 1987.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for exclusive breastfeeding rate?
- Sri Lanka ranks 1st out of 72 countries with data for 2016.
- Is exclusive breastfeeding rate rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exclusive breastfeeding rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The share of infants less than six months old who were fed only with breast milk in the past 24 hours. WHO and UNICEF recommend that children be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life – meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water.