Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) was 48.39 in 2027. ▼ Falling
Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) in Sri Lanka, 1990–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 48.39 for labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates) in 2027.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 10.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates) in Sri Lanka peaked at 61.45 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 47.4, in 2023.
Sri Lanka ranks 164th of 188 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 38 years of available data.
Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 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% |
| 2026 | 48.45 | -0.1% |
| 2027 | 48.39 | -0.1% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 48.39 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 59.75, 81% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 48.39 is below the median for South Asia, which is 57.19, 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 | 48.93 | 47.4 | 50.49 | 8 |
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 labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates) in Sri Lanka?
- Labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates) in Sri Lanka was 48.39 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 61.45 in 1990.
- What is the lowest labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.4 in 2023.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates)?
- Sri Lanka ranks 164th out of 188 countries with data for 2027.
- Is labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates) rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 38 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The labour force participation rate is the labour force as a percent of the working-age population. The labour force is the sum of all persons of working age who are employed and those who are unemployed. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.