Labor force participation rate in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Labor force participation rate was 48.52 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
48.52
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
162nd
of 186 countries
All-time high
61.45
in 1990
All-time low
47.4
in 2023
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor force participation rate in Sri Lanka, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force participation rate in Sri Lanka is 48.52, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and down 9.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Sri Lanka peaked at 61.45 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 47.4, in 2023.
Sri Lanka ranks 162nd 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 in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 61.45 | — |
| 1991 | 59.06 | -3.9% |
| 1992 | 56.62 | -4.1% |
| 1993 | 56.72 | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 57.04 | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 54.88 | -3.8% |
| 1996 | 55.4 | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 55.24 | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 58.82 | +6.5% |
| 1999 | 57.31 | -2.6% |
| 2000 | 55.57 | -3.0% |
| 2001 | 55.34 | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 55.12 | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 54.89 | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 54.66 | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 54.44 | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 54.21 | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 53.98 | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 53.75 | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 53.52 | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 53.3 | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 52.87 | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 52.57 | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 52.05 | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 51.6 | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 53.67 | +4.0% |
| 2016 | 53.73 | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 53.99 | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 51.72 | -4.2% |
| 2019 | 52.25 | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 50.49 | -3.4% |
| 2021 | 49.84 | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 49.73 | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 47.4 | -4.7% |
| 2024 | 48.6 | +2.5% |
| 2025 | 48.52 | -0.2% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 48.52 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 60.51, 80% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 48.52 is below the median for South Asia, which is 57.23, 85% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 57.25 | 54.88 | 61.45 | 10 |
| 2000s | 54.55 | 53.52 | 55.57 | 10 |
| 2010s | 52.77 | 51.6 | 53.99 | 10 |
| 2020s | 49.1 | 47.4 | 50.49 | 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 in Sri Lanka?
- Labor force participation rate in Sri Lanka was 48.52 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 61.45 in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.4 in 2023.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for labor force participation rate?
- Sri Lanka ranks 162nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).