Professor Wasantha Athukorala of the Department of Economics and Statistics at the University of Peradeniya has revealed a significant decline in the country’s school population over the past seven years. Between 2019 and 2025, the number of school children in government schools fell by 314,109, dropping from 4,161,653 to 3,747,544, representing an overall decrease of around eight percent.
The decrease is particularly evident at the entry level. In 2019, 333,074 children were admitted to Grade One, but by 2025, this number had fallen to 266,281—a reduction of 66,793 students, or roughly 20 percent. Professor Athukorala attributes this decline to broader demographic changes, including a declining birth rate and emigration trends affecting the country’s population structure.
The reduction in students has also impacted the school system itself. In 2019, there were 10,165 government schools, but by 2025, this number had dropped to 10,047, with 118 schools closing during this period. The professor notes that these closures reflect the combined effect of demographic transition and shifting population patterns, posing challenges for the sustainability and planning of the national education system.
