Topics
Explore
Featured Insight
Sri Lanka’s government education spending is the lowest in South Asia
In 2022, Sri Lanka’s government—both provincial and central—dedicated only 1.5 percent of its GDP to education, including primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. This places Sri Lanka at the bottom of the list for education spending in South Asia. By contrast, countries like India, the Maldives, and Afghanistan invest over 4 percent of their GDP in public education, while Bhutan leads the way, allocating an impressive 8 percent. For the past 15 years, Sri Lanka’s education budget has remained stuck between 1.5 and 2 percent, while most other South Asian countries have steadily increased their spending. Despite Sri Lanka’s relatively strong educational outcomes, there's still plenty of room for improvement, especially when it comes to raising the quality of education and expanding access to higher education. Investing in education is crucial for building human capital, which fuels productivity and drives economic growth. Moreover, a strong education system is essential for tackling many of the social challenges the country faces today. Due to limited government revenue and spending constraints, the government may need to redirect funds from other sectors and prioritise its needs to increase the budget for education. You can explore the 2024 Budget allocations for each sector here. Let us know in the comments which areas you think the government could reduce spending on to improve education in the Sri Lanka.
Featured Insight
Sri Lanka’s government education spending is the lowest in South Asia
In 2022, Sri Lanka’s government—both provincial and central—dedicated only 1.5 percent of its GDP to education, including primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. This places Sri Lanka at the bottom of the list for education spending in South Asia. By contrast, countries like India, the Maldives, and Afghanistan invest over 4 percent of their GDP in public education, while Bhutan leads the way, allocating an impressive 8 percent. For the past 15 years, Sri Lanka’s education budget has remained stuck between 1.5 and 2 percent, while most other South Asian countries have steadily increased their spending. Despite Sri Lanka’s relatively strong educational outcomes, there's still plenty of room for improvement, especially when it comes to raising the quality of education and expanding access to higher education. Investing in education is crucial for building human capital, which fuels productivity and drives economic growth. Moreover, a strong education system is essential for tackling many of the social challenges the country faces today. Due to limited government revenue and spending constraints, the government may need to redirect funds from other sectors and prioritise its needs to increase the budget for education. You can explore the 2024 Budget allocations for each sector here. Let us know in the comments which areas you think the government could reduce spending on to improve education in the Sri Lanka.
Featured Insight
Sri Lanka’s government education spending is the lowest in South Asia
In 2022, Sri Lanka’s government—both provincial and central—dedicated only 1.5 percent of its GDP to education, including primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. This places Sri Lanka at the bottom of the list for education spending in South Asia. By contrast, countries like India, the Maldives, and Afghanistan invest over 4 percent of their GDP in public education, while Bhutan leads the way, allocating an impressive 8 percent. For the past 15 years, Sri Lanka’s education budget has remained stuck between 1.5 and 2 percent, while most other South Asian countries have steadily increased their spending. Despite Sri Lanka’s relatively strong educational outcomes, there's still plenty of room for improvement, especially when it comes to raising the quality of education and expanding access to higher education. Investing in education is crucial for building human capital, which fuels productivity and drives economic growth. Moreover, a strong education system is essential for tackling many of the social challenges the country faces today. Due to limited government revenue and spending constraints, the government may need to redirect funds from other sectors and prioritise its needs to increase the budget for education. You can explore the 2024 Budget allocations for each sector here. Let us know in the comments which areas you think the government could reduce spending on to improve education in the Sri Lanka.
Featured Insight
Sri Lanka’s government education spending is the lowest in South Asia
In 2022, Sri Lanka’s government—both provincial and central—dedicated only 1.5 percent of its GDP to education, including primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. This places Sri Lanka at the bottom of the list for education spending in South Asia. By contrast, countries like India, the Maldives, and Afghanistan invest over 4 percent of their GDP in public education, while Bhutan leads the way, allocating an impressive 8 percent. For the past 15 years, Sri Lanka’s education budget has remained stuck between 1.5 and 2 percent, while most other South Asian countries have steadily increased their spending. Despite Sri Lanka’s relatively strong educational outcomes, there's still plenty of room for improvement, especially when it comes to raising the quality of education and expanding access to higher education. Investing in education is crucial for building human capital, which fuels productivity and drives economic growth. Moreover, a strong education system is essential for tackling many of the social challenges the country faces today. Due to limited government revenue and spending constraints, the government may need to redirect funds from other sectors and prioritise its needs to increase the budget for education. You can explore the 2024 Budget allocations for each sector here. Let us know in the comments which areas you think the government could reduce spending on to improve education in the Sri Lanka.
Data
Reports
Acts and Gazettes
Insights
Dashboards
Annual Budget Dashboard
Budget Promises
Fiscal Indicators
Fuel Price Tracker
IMF Tracker
Infrastructure Watch
PF Wire
About Us
EN
English
සිංහල
தமிழ்
;
Thank You
Free and Open Access to
Public Finance Data and Analysis
Home
Insights
All
Agriculture and Irrigation
Articles
Budget 2021
Budget 2022
Budget 2023
Budget 2024
Civil Administration
Debt
Defence and Public Order
Education
Employee Provident Fund (EPF)
Energy and Water Supply
Environment
Expenditure
Financing
Health
International Monetary Fund
Revenue
Social Protection and Welfare
Transport and Communication
Urban Development and Housing
Tags
External Debt
All
Action Plan
Actual
Annual Report
Appropriation Bill
Asset Management
Audit
Bank
Bonds
Budget
Central Bank of Sri Lanka
Compensation
COPF
Corporate
Covid
Customs Duty
Customs
Debt Management
Debt
Deficit Financing
Development
Disaster
Elections
Employee Provident Fund
Employment
EPF
ESC
Estimate
Excise
Expenditure
External Debt
Finance Act
Financing
Fiscal Policy
Gaming Tax
Gazette
Grant
Health
IMF
Income Tax
Loans
Macroeconomics
Ministry of Finance
Motor Vehicles
National Evaluation Policy
NBT
PAL
Parliament
Performance Report
Procurement
Progress Report
Project Progress
Provincial Council Budget
Public Finance
Remuneration
Reserves
Revenue
Scams
SCL
SOEs
Stamp Duty
State-Owned Enterprises
Tax Exemptions
Tax Incentives
Tax Reforms
Tax Revenue
Tax
Telecommunication Levy
Tobacco
VAT
Data
Reports
Acts and Gazettes
Insights
Filter by year
From
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
To
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2020 Mid-year Fiscal Performance
Latest figures released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka show that revenue has fallen by 25% in the first half of 2020 compared to the first half of 2019. This has resulted in an increase of the budget deficit by 41% and debt by 8%.
2020-09-21
View Insight*