Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) was 24.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Sri Lanka, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Sri Lanka is 24.8%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 25.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Sri Lanka peaked at 52.4% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 24.8%, in 2025.
Sri Lanka ranks 167th of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 52.4% | — |
| 1991 | 50.2% | -4.3% |
| 1992 | 48.0% | -4.4% |
| 1993 | 47.3% | -1.5% |
| 1994 | 49.9% | +5.7% |
| 1995 | 43.2% | -13.5% |
| 1996 | 43.9% | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 43.8% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 49.1% | +12.1% |
| 1999 | 47.4% | -3.6% |
| 2000 | 43.5% | -8.2% |
| 2001 | 42.6% | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 41.7% | -2.1% |
| 2003 | 40.8% | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 39.9% | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 39.1% | -2.2% |
| 2006 | 38.2% | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 37.3% | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 36.5% | -2.3% |
| 2009 | 35.6% | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 34.8% | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 33.7% | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 33.4% | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 32.9% | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 31.3% | -4.7% |
| 2015 | 33.4% | +6.6% |
| 2016 | 32.5% | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 32.8% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 29.9% | -8.8% |
| 2019 | 30.5% | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 28.9% | -5.2% |
| 2021 | 26.2% | -9.4% |
| 2022 | 25.1% | -4.0% |
| 2023 | 25.1% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 25.0% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 24.8% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 47.5% | 43.2% | 52.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 39.5% | 35.6% | 43.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.5% | 29.9% | 34.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.9% | 24.8% | 28.9% | 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 labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Sri Lanka?
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Sri Lanka was 24.8% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 52.4% in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.8% in 2025.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%)?
- Sri Lanka ranks 167th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24 is the proportion of the population ages 15-24 that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.