Sri Lanka Unemployment Rate
Unemployment as % of total labor force SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
Overview
Sri Lanka's unemployment rate stood at 4.01% in 2025, a decline of +0.75pp from 2024. Sri Lanka ranked 67th globally.
Data & projection
| Year | Unemployment Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.01% | −0.75pp | #67 |
| 2024 | 4.24% | −0.76pp | #75 |
| 2023 | 4.53% | −0.72pp | #85 |
| 2022 | 4.53% | −0.57pp | #80 |
| 2021 | 4.98% | −0.52pp | #69 |
| 2020 | 5.36% | +0.56pp | #75 |
| 2019 | 4.67% | +0.27pp | #83 |
| 2018 | 4.32% | +0.12pp | #71 |
| 2017 | 4.05% | −0.35pp | #58 |
| 2016 | 4.24% | −0.46pp | #56 |
| 2015 | 4.52% | +0.22pp | #65 |
| 2014 | 4.16% | −0.24pp | #56 |
| 2013 | 4.19% | +0.19pp | #57 |
| 2012 | 3.88% | −0.22pp | #55 |
| 2011 | 4.12% | −0.88pp | #55 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Sri Lanka matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2024. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw unemployment rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Sri Lanka's unemployment rate was 4.01% in 2025. Ranked 67th globally. This represents a 15.7% decrease from the previous year.
Sri Lanka's unemployment rate peaked at 15.90% in 1990.
The lowest unemployment rate in Sri Lanka was 3.88% in 2012.
Sri Lanka ranks 67th globally in unemployment rate as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
The unemployment rate of Sri Lanka in 2025 was 4.01%. This ranks 67th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_sri-lanka_unemployment-rate,
title = {Sri Lanka Unemployment Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/sri-lanka/unemployment-rate},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}