SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) was 4.32 in 2024. ▼ Falling
SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) in Sri Lanka, 2000–2024
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 4.32 for sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.5% on the previous year and up 3.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in Sri Lanka peaked at 8.38 in 2004 and was at its lowest, 3.97, in 2012.
Sri Lanka ranks 111th of 179 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 7.74 | — |
| 2001 | 7.92 | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 8.22 | +3.7% |
| 2004 | 8.38 | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 7.67 | -8.5% |
| 2006 | 6.48 | -15.6% |
| 2007 | 5.96 | -8.0% |
| 2008 | 5.21 | -12.7% |
| 2009 | 5.85 | +12.4% |
| 2010 | 4.78 | -18.3% |
| 2011 | 4.12 | -13.9% |
| 2012 | 3.97 | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 4.19 | +5.3% |
| 2014 | 4.16 | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 4.52 | +8.7% |
| 2016 | 4.24 | -6.1% |
| 2017 | 4.05 | -4.6% |
| 2018 | 4.32 | +6.7% |
| 2019 | 4.67 | +8.2% |
| 2020 | 5.37 | +14.9% |
| 2021 | 4.98 | -7.2% |
| 2022 | 4.53 | -9.1% |
| 2023 | 4.67 | +3.0% |
| 2024 | 4.32 | -7.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7.05 | 5.21 | 8.38 | 9 |
| 2010s | 4.3 | 3.97 | 4.78 | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.77 | 4.32 | 5.37 | 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 sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in Sri Lanka?
- Sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in Sri Lanka was 4.32 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 8.38 in 2004.
- What is the lowest sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.97 in 2012.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition)?
- Sri Lanka ranks 111th out of 179 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.8%. 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 SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Data may differ from nationally reported figures and the Global SDG Indicators Database due to differences in sources and/or reference years. The unemployment rate conveys the number of persons who are unemployed as a percent of the labour force (i.e., the employed plus the unemployed). The unemployed comprise all persons of working age who were: a) without work during the reference period, i.e. were not in paid employment or self-employment; b) currently available for work, i.e. were available for paid employment or self-employment during the reference period; and c) seeking work, i.e. had taken specific steps in a specified recent period to seek paid employment or self-employment. For more information, refer to the Labour Market-related SDG Indicators (ILOSDG) database description.