Unemployment rate of males vs females in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Unemployment rate of males vs females was 2.76 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
2.76
Change on year
down 6.4%
World rank
145th
of 186 countries
All-time high
10.29
in 1991
All-time low
2.68
in 2011
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate of males vs females in Sri Lanka, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rate of males vs females in Sri Lanka is 2.76, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.4% on the previous year and down 7.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate of males vs females in Sri Lanka peaked at 10.29 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 2.68, in 2011.
Sri Lanka ranks 145th of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate of males vs females in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 10.29 | — |
| 1992 | 10.15 | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 9.81 | -3.4% |
| 1994 | 9.3 | -5.2% |
| 1995 | 8.87 | -4.6% |
| 1996 | 8.3 | -6.4% |
| 1997 | 7.83 | -5.7% |
| 1998 | 6.67 | -14.8% |
| 1999 | 6.65 | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 5.89 | -11.4% |
| 2001 | 6.16 | +4.5% |
| 2002 | 6.65 | +8.0% |
| 2003 | 5.92 | -11.1% |
| 2004 | 6.12 | +3.5% |
| 2005 | 5.57 | -9.1% |
| 2006 | 4.8 | -13.7% |
| 2007 | 4.39 | -8.6% |
| 2008 | 3.73 | -15.1% |
| 2009 | 4.4 | +18.1% |
| 2010 | 3.45 | -21.6% |
| 2011 | 2.68 | -22.3% |
| 2012 | 2.79 | +4.0% |
| 2013 | 2.99 | +7.4% |
| 2014 | 3.07 | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 2.99 | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 2.89 | -3.2% |
| 2017 | 2.82 | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 2.99 | +5.7% |
| 2019 | 3.29 | +10.3% |
| 2020 | 3.96 | +20.1% |
| 2021 | 3.65 | -7.7% |
| 2022 | 3.66 | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 3.5 | -4.3% |
| 2024 | 2.95 | -15.7% |
| 2025 | 2.76 | -6.4% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 2.76 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.65, 49% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 2.76 is below the median for South Asia, which is 4.04, 68% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.65 | 6.65 | 10.29 | 9 |
| 2000s | 5.36 | 3.73 | 6.65 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3 | 2.68 | 3.45 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.41 | 2.76 | 3.96 | 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 unemployment rate of males vs females in Sri Lanka?
- Unemployment rate of males vs females in Sri Lanka was 2.76 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate of males vs females recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 10.29 in 1991.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate of males vs females recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.68 in 2011.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for unemployment rate of males vs females?
- Sri Lanka ranks 145th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate of males vs females rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.5%. 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 Unemployment rate of males vs females. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).