Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes was 99.5% in 2018. ▬ Flat

Latest (2018)
99.5%
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
10th
of 41 countries
All-time high
99.5%
in 2018
All-time low
95.2%
in 2001
Years of data
8
1981–2018

Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes in Sri Lanka, 1981–2018

0204060801001981199920181981: 95.4 %2001: 95.2 %2006: 96.4 %2008: 98 %2010: 98.9 %2016: 98.8 %2017: 98.8 %2018: 99.5 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2018, youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes in Sri Lanka stood at 99.5%. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.

The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 1.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes in Sri Lanka peaked at 99.5% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 95.2%, in 2001.

Sri Lanka ranks 10th of 41 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes in Sri Lanka, year by year

Annual values for Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes (%) in Sri Lanka, 1981 to 2018.
Year % Change
1981 95.4%
2001 95.2% -0.2%
2006 96.4% +1.3%
2008 98.0% +1.6%
2010 98.9% +0.9%
2016 98.8% -0.1%
2017 98.8% +0.1%
2018 99.5% +0.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 95.4% 95.4% 95.4% 1
2000s 96.5% 95.2% 98.0% 3
2010s 99.0% 98.8% 99.5% 4

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 7 Republic of Moldova 99.7% compare
  2. 8 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 99.6% compare
  3. 9 Türkiye 99.5% compare
  4. 11 Argentina 99.5% compare
  5. 12 Mexico 99.5% compare
  6. 13 Palestine, State of 99.4% compare

See the full ranking of 41 places →

More reference data data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes in Sri Lanka?
Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes in Sri Lanka was 99.5% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 99.5% in 2018.
What is the lowest youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 95.2% in 2001.
How does Sri Lanka rank for youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes?
Sri Lanka ranks 10th out of 41 countries with data for 2018.
Is youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. 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 Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes in Sri Lanka. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/youth-literacy-rate-population-15-24-years-urban-both-sexes-percent/sri-lanka/

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About this data

Indicator
Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
41 places, 376 data points, 1976–2019
Last refreshed

Number of people age 15 to 24 years in urban areas who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life, divided by the population in that age group. Generally, ‘literacy’ also encompasses ‘numeracy’, the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations. Divide the number of people aged 15 to 24 years who are literate by the total population in the same age group and multiply the result by 100. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/