Sri Lanka's government education expenditure is the lowest in South Asia

Abstract

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.