Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) (national estimate) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) (national estimate) was 65.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Sri Lanka, 1981–2024
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 100th 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 (%) (national estimate) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| 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% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 65.4% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 66.7%, 98% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 65.4% is below the median for South Asia, which is 72.5%, 90% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) (national estimate) in Sri Lanka changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | +58.2% | 46.0% | 72.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
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 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 100th 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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About this data
Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.