Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) … national in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) … national was 23.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Sri Lanka, 1963–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2024, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Sri Lanka stood at 23.7%. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 24.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Sri Lanka peaked at 52.3% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 23.7%, in 2024.
Sri Lanka ranks 169th of 176 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) … national in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 44.7% | — |
| 1971 | 51.4% | +15.0% |
| 1985 | 50.3% | -2.2% |
| 1986 | 48.9% | -2.6% |
| 1990 | 52.3% | +6.9% |
| 1992 | 48.0% | -8.3% |
| 1993 | 47.3% | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 49.9% | +5.5% |
| 1995 | 43.2% | -13.5% |
| 1996 | 43.9% | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 43.8% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 49.0% | +11.9% |
| 1999 | 47.3% | -3.5% |
| 2000 | 43.5% | -8.1% |
| 2003 | 45.6% | +5.0% |
| 2004 | 44.3% | -3.0% |
| 2005 | 41.8% | -5.7% |
| 2007 | 40.9% | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 34.8% | -15.0% |
| 2011 | 33.7% | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 33.4% | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 32.9% | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 31.3% | -4.7% |
| 2015 | 33.4% | +6.5% |
| 2016 | 32.5% | -2.6% |
| 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 | 23.9% | -5.0% |
| 2024 | 23.7% | -0.7% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 23.7% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 38.6%, 61% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 23.7% is below the median for South Asia, which is 30.5%, 78% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 44.7% | 44.7% | 44.7% | 1 |
| 1970s | 51.4% | 51.4% | 51.4% | 1 |
| 1980s | 49.6% | 48.9% | 50.3% | 2 |
| 1990s | 47.2% | 43.2% | 52.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 43.2% | 40.9% | 45.6% | 5 |
| 2010s | 32.5% | 29.9% | 34.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.6% | 23.7% | 28.9% | 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 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 23.7% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), 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 52.3% in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.7% in 2024.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%)?
- Sri Lanka ranks 169th out of 176 countries with data for 2024.
- Is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.3%. 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 Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.