Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) was 65.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
65.4%
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
99th
of 174 countries
All-time high
72.9%
in 2016
All-time low
46.0%
in 1981
Years of data
30
1981–2024

Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Sri Lanka, 1981–2024

0204060801981200220241981: 461985: 72.71994: 69.61995: 681996: 69.31997: 69.61998: 71.91999: 71.72000: 71.22001: 62.12002: 63.42003: 72.22004: 70.32005: 63.42007: 64.92010: 72.42011: 722012: 72.82013: 70.62014: 70.22015: 72.42016: 72.92017: 72.42018: 70.82019: 70.52020: 692021: 68.42022: 67.92023: 66.12024: 65.4

Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

In 2024, employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Sri Lanka stood at 65.4%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 6.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Sri Lanka peaked at 72.9% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 46.0%, in 1981.

Sri Lanka ranks 99th of 174 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 30 years of available data.

Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Sri Lanka, year by year

Annual values for Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) (national estimate) in Sri Lanka, 1981 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1981 46.0%
1985 72.7% +58.2%
1994 69.6% -4.3%
1995 68.0% -2.2%
1996 69.3% +1.8%
1997 69.6% +0.4%
1998 71.9% +3.3%
1999 71.7% -0.3%
2000 71.2% -0.6%
2001 62.1% -12.8%
2002 63.4% +2.1%
2003 72.2% +13.9%
2004 70.3% -2.7%
2005 63.4% -9.8%
2007 64.9% +2.3%
2010 72.4% +11.7%
2011 72.0% -0.6%
2012 72.8% +1.2%
2013 70.6% -3.2%
2014 70.2% -0.5%
2015 72.4% +3.2%
2016 72.9% +0.6%
2017 72.4% -0.7%
2018 70.8% -2.2%
2019 70.5% -0.3%
2020 69.0% -2.2%
2021 68.4% -0.8%
2022 67.9% -0.7%
2023 66.1% -2.6%
2024 65.4% -1.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 59.3% 46.0% 72.7% 2
1990s 70.0% 68.0% 71.9% 6
2000s 66.8% 62.1% 72.2% 7
2010s 71.7% 70.2% 72.9% 10
2020s 67.4% 65.4% 69.0% 5

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 96 Czechia 65.6% compare
  2. 96 Denmark 65.6% compare
  3. 98 Seychelles 65.4% compare
  4. 100 Mauritius 65.3% compare
  5. 101 Hungary 65.2% compare
  6. 102 United States of America 64.8% compare

See the full ranking of 196 places →

More work & labour data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Sri Lanka?
Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Sri Lanka was 65.4% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 72.9% in 2016.
What is the lowest employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 46.0% in 1981.
How does Sri Lanka rank for employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%)?
Sri Lanka ranks 99th out of 174 countries with data for 2024.
Is employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Sri Lanka. Statizoid, drawing on Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/employment-to-population-ratio-15-male-percent-national-estimate/sri-lanka/

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About this data

Indicator
Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) (national estimate)
Source
Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
196 places, 4,684 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.