Employment in services (% of total employment) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Employment in services (% of total employment) was 47.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in services (% of total employment) in Sri Lanka, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for employment in services (% of total employment) in Sri Lanka is 47.8%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 5.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in services (% of total employment) in Sri Lanka peaked at 48.4% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 38.4%, in 1991.
That places Sri Lanka 138th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in services (% of total employment) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 38.4% | — |
| 1992 | 42.6% | +10.9% |
| 1993 | 46.3% | +8.8% |
| 1994 | 43.7% | -5.6% |
| 1995 | 43.5% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 48.4% | +11.2% |
| 1997 | 45.3% | -6.3% |
| 1998 | 42.1% | -7.2% |
| 1999 | 42.3% | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 42.6% | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 42.8% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 43.1% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 42.8% | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 42.8% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 42.8% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 43.1% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 43.7% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 43.9% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 44.1% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 44.3% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 44.4% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 42.9% | -3.3% |
| 2013 | 44.5% | +3.7% |
| 2014 | 45.5% | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 45.6% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 46.5% | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 45.5% | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 46.6% | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 47.1% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 46.0% | -2.3% |
| 2021 | 46.7% | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 47.0% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 47.3% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 47.6% | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 47.8% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 43.6% | 38.4% | 48.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 43.2% | 42.6% | 44.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.3% | 42.9% | 47.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 47.1% | 46.0% | 47.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More work & labour data for Sri Lanka
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.5555 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5407 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.5702 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.3 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.6 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 6,575 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 14,218 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 10,672 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 10,578 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 21,249 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in services (% of total employment) in Sri Lanka?
- Employment in services (% of total employment) in Sri Lanka was 47.8% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 48.4% in 1996.
- What is the lowest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.4% in 1991.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for employment in services (% of total employment)?
- Sri Lanka ranks 138th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in services (% of total employment) rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment in services (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The services sector consists of wholesale and retail trade and restaurants and hotels; transport, storage, and communications; financing, insurance, real estate, and business services; and community, social, and personal services, in accordance with divisions 6-9 (ISIC 2) or categories G-Q (ISIC 3) or categories G-U (ISIC 4).