SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate was 4.32 in 2024. ▬ Flat
SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate in Sri Lanka, 2018–2024
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 4.32 for sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.5% on the previous year and down 0.0% over ten years.
That places Sri Lanka 42nd out of 57 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 4.32 | — |
| 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% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 4.32 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.86, 89% of the median. (10 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 4.49 | 4.32 | 4.67 | 2 |
| 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 in Sri Lanka?
- Sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate in Sri Lanka was 4.32 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 5.37 in 2020.
- What is the lowest sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.32 in 2024.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate?
- Sri Lanka ranks 42nd out of 57 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- 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). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 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. The term disability, as defined in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), is used as an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. For measurement purposes, a person with disability is defined as a person who is limited in the kind or amount of activities that he or she can do because of ongoing difficulties due to a long-term physical condition, mental condition or health problem. For more information, refer to the Labour Market-related SDG Indicators (ILOSDG) database description.