Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) was 18.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Sri Lanka, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Sri Lanka stood at 18.6%.
The figure is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Sri Lanka peaked at 36.1% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 16.8%, in 2011.
That places Sri Lanka 58th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 36.1% | — |
| 1992 | 35.2% | -2.5% |
| 1993 | 34.6% | -1.6% |
| 1994 | 33.7% | -2.7% |
| 1995 | 33.8% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 32.6% | -3.5% |
| 1997 | 31.5% | -3.3% |
| 1998 | 25.7% | -18.4% |
| 1999 | 26.3% | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 23.8% | -9.4% |
| 2001 | 25.0% | +5.1% |
| 2002 | 28.5% | +14.1% |
| 2003 | 27.6% | -3.4% |
| 2004 | 28.3% | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 27.7% | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 22.1% | -20.1% |
| 2007 | 21.5% | -3.0% |
| 2008 | 18.7% | -12.7% |
| 2009 | 21.2% | +12.9% |
| 2010 | 18.7% | -11.7% |
| 2011 | 16.8% | -10.3% |
| 2012 | 16.8% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 17.9% | +6.8% |
| 2014 | 18.8% | +4.7% |
| 2015 | 19.2% | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 20.1% | +4.4% |
| 2017 | 17.4% | -13.3% |
| 2018 | 20.5% | +17.9% |
| 2019 | 20.4% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 25.4% | +24.6% |
| 2021 | 25.4% | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 21.7% | -14.3% |
| 2023 | 20.3% | -6.4% |
| 2024 | 19.1% | -6.3% |
| 2025 | 18.6% | -2.5% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 18.6% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.8%, 1.2× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 18.6% is above the median for South Asia, which is 16.5%, 1.1× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 32.2% | 25.7% | 36.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 24.4% | 18.7% | 28.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.7% | 16.8% | 20.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.8% | 18.6% | 25.4% | 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, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Sri Lanka?
- Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Sri Lanka was 18.6% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 36.1% in 1991.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.8% in 2011.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24)?
- Sri Lanka ranks 58th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment.