Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) was 18.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
18.6%
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
143rd
of 155 countries
All-time high
36.2%
in 1998
All-time low
18.5%
in 2023
Years of data
26
1994–2024

Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in Sri Lanka, 1994–2024

0102030401994200920241994: 32.51995: 281996: 29.41997: 29.71998: 36.21999: 34.62000: 33.22003: 33.72004: 32.52005: 30.82007: 32.32010: 28.22011: 28.12012: 27.62013: 26.82014: 25.22015: 26.72016: 25.72017: 26.92018: 23.62019: 24.12020: 21.42021: 19.42022: 19.62023: 18.52024: 18.6

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in Sri Lanka is 18.6%, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and down 26.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in Sri Lanka peaked at 36.2% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 18.5%, in 2023.

Sri Lanka ranks 143rd of 155 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.

Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in Sri Lanka, year by year

Annual values for Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) (national estimate) in Sri Lanka, 1994 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1994 32.5%
1995 28.0% -13.9%
1996 29.4% +5.1%
1997 29.7% +1.0%
1998 36.2% +21.8%
1999 34.6% -4.3%
2000 33.2% -4.2%
2003 33.7% +1.5%
2004 32.5% -3.4%
2005 30.8% -5.4%
2007 32.3% +4.8%
2010 28.2% -12.6%
2011 28.1% -0.4%
2012 27.6% -1.6%
2013 26.8% -2.9%
2014 25.2% -6.2%
2015 26.7% +6.0%
2016 25.7% -3.7%
2017 26.9% +4.7%
2018 23.6% -12.2%
2019 24.1% +2.1%
2020 21.4% -11.1%
2021 19.4% -9.4%
2022 19.6% +1.0%
2023 18.5% -5.6%
2024 18.6% +0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 31.7% 28.0% 36.2% 6
2000s 32.5% 30.8% 33.7% 5
2010s 26.3% 23.6% 28.2% 10
2020s 19.5% 18.5% 21.4% 5

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 140 Greece 19.7% compare
  2. 141 Algeria 19.5% compare
  3. 142 Palestine, State of 19.0% compare
  4. 144 Iran, Islamic Republic of 18.5% compare
  5. 145 Namibia 18.1% compare
  6. 146 Italy 17.9% compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More work & labour data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in Sri Lanka?
Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in Sri Lanka was 18.6% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 36.2% in 1998.
What is the lowest employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 18.5% in 2023.
How does Sri Lanka rank for employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%)?
Sri Lanka ranks 143rd out of 155 countries with data for 2024.
Is employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is down 26.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
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, ages 15-24, total (%) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) 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-ages-15-24-total-percent-national-estimate/sri-lanka/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/employment-to-population-ratio-ages-15-24-total-percent-national-estimate/sri-lanka/">Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in Sri Lanka</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) (national estimate)
Source
Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
176 places, 4,009 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

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