Gender wage gap in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Gender wage gap was 7.0% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Gender wage gap in Sri Lanka, 2010–2023
Source: International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, gender wage gap in Sri Lanka stood at 7.0%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 435.6% on the previous year and down 40.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender wage gap in Sri Lanka peaked at 12.4% in 2019 and was at its lowest, -10.7%, in 2017.
That places Sri Lanka 35th out of 67 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Gender wage gap in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 11.7% | — |
| 2011 | 10.4% | -11.5% |
| 2013 | 11.7% | +12.9% |
| 2014 | 8.8% | -25.2% |
| 2015 | 3.5% | -60.2% |
| 2016 | 9.4% | +168.6% |
| 2017 | -10.7% | -214.8% |
| 2018 | 12.0% | -212.0% |
| 2019 | 12.4% | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 9.9% | -20.7% |
| 2021 | -3.6% | -136.9% |
| 2022 | 1.3% | -135.9% |
| 2023 | 7.0% | +435.6% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 7.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2.9%, 2.4× the median. (25 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 7.7% | -10.7% | 12.4% | 9 |
| 2020s | 3.6% | -3.6% | 9.9% | 4 |
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 gender wage gap in Sri Lanka?
- Gender wage gap in Sri Lanka was 7.0% in 2023, according to International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gender wage gap recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 12.4% in 2019.
- What is the lowest gender wage gap recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was -10.7% in 2017.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for gender wage gap?
- Sri Lanka ranks 35th out of 67 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gender wage gap rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 40.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gender wage gap. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Difference between average earnings of men and average earnings of women expressed as a percentage of average earnings of men.