Sri Lanka — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Sri Lanka, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Sri Lanka was 4.00% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 14.66% in 1991. The lowest was 3.88% in 2012 (about 1.0× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -3.74% per year.
Sri Lanka ranks 120 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 64%. The median for South Asia is 4.22%, so Sri Lanka sits below it. It peaked in 1991 and has fallen 73% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 11%. Within South Asia it ranks 4 of 6 economies; Bangladesh (3.78%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 18% in 2010. That is 11% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 28th of 187 in 1991 → 85th of 187 in 2000 → 125th of 187 in 2010 → 115th of 187 in 2020 → 115th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.01% | -0.2 pp |
| 2024 | 4.24% | -0.3 pp |
| 2023 | 4.53% | +0.0 pp |
| 2022 | 4.53% | -0.5 pp |
| 2021 | 4.98% | -0.4 pp |
| 2020 | 5.36% | +0.7 pp |
| 2019 | 4.67% | +0.4 pp |
| 2018 | 4.32% | +0.3 pp |
| 2017 | 4.05% | -0.2 pp |
| 2016 | 4.24% | -0.3 pp |
| 2015 | 4.52% | +0.4 pp |
| 2014 | 4.16% | -0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 4.19% | +0.3 pp |
| 2012 | 3.88% | -0.2 pp |
| 2011 | 4.12% | -0.7 pp |
| 2010 | 4.78% | -1.1 pp |
| 2009 | 5.85% | +0.6 pp |
| 2008 | 5.22% | -0.8 pp |
| 2007 | 5.97% | -0.5 pp |
| 2006 | 6.5% | -1.2 pp |
| 2005 | 7.67% | -0.7 pp |
| 2004 | 8.38% | +0.2 pp |
| 2003 | 8.22% | -0.5 pp |
| 2002 | 8.76% | +0.9 pp |
| 2001 | 7.9% | +0.2 pp |
| 2000 | 7.74% | -1.1 pp |
| 1999 | 8.88% | -0.3 pp |
| 1998 | 9.17% | -1.4 pp |
| 1997 | 10.6% | -0.8 pp |
| 1996 | 11.35% | -0.9 pp |
| 1995 | 12.27% | -0.8 pp |
| 1994 | 13.03% | -0.8 pp |
| 1993 | 13.82% | -0.4 pp |
| 1992 | 14.22% | -0.4 pp |
| 1991 | 14.66% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Sri Lanka’s Unemployment in 1992?
14.22% (1992). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of total labor force, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Sri Lanka’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -72.7% in total — about 3.7% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 4.01%; 2024: 4.24%; 2023: 4.53%; 2022: 4.53%; 2021: 4.98%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS — Unemployment Rate. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.