Education in Central Province, Sri Lanka: official figures
Government schools in Central Province had 493,000 pupils and 33,060 teachers in 2025 (provisional), 14.9 pupils per teacher, 4th lowest of the 9 provinces (Sri Lanka: 15.5).
How do students in Central Province do in the O/L exams?
73.9% of Central Province's 42,173 school candidates who sat the GCE Ordinary Level exam in 2024 (five or more subjects) qualified for Advanced Level, 4th highest of the 9 provinces (Sri Lanka: 73.5%; provisional).
Source: Central Bank of Sri Lanka (compiling the named official sources) · saved copyHow many students from Central Province go to university?
4,507 students from Central Province were admitted to state universities in 2023/2024, 166 per 100,000 residents, the lowest of the 9 provinces; they were 10.0% of all admissions (2022/2023: 4,575).
Source: Central Bank of Sri Lanka (compiling the named official sources) · saved copyMore figures
- Enrolment in Central Province's government schools fell by 8.5% between 2019 and 2025 (Sri Lanka: fell by 7.7%). Source: Central Bank of Sri Lanka (compiling the named official sources) · saved copy
- 13.8% of people in Central Province had passed the GCE Advanced Level or gone further in the 2019 Household Income and Expenditure Survey, joint 2nd highest of the 9 provinces (Sri Lanka: 15.1%). Source: Central Bank of Sri Lanka (compiling the named official sources) · saved copy
How Central Province compares with other provinces
GCE O/L school candidates qualifying for A/L (2024)
Central Province ranks 4 of 9, highest first.
| Rank | Region | GCE O/L school candidates qualifying for A/L |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern Province | 75.6% |
| 2 | Western Province | 74.5% |
| 3 | Eastern Province | 74.3% |
| 4 | Central Province | 73.9% |
| 5 | Sabaragamuwa Province | 73.5% |
| 6 | Uva Province | 73.2% |
| 7 | North Western Province | 71.5% |
Pupils per teacher in government schools (2025)
Central Province ranks 6 of 9, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Pupils per teacher in government schools |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Eastern Province | 15.9 |
| 4 | Southern Province | 15.7 |
| 5 | North Western Province | 15.7 |
| 6 | Central Province | 14.9 |
| 7 | Sabaragamuwa Province | 14.7 |
| 8 | Uva Province | 13.8 |
| 9 | Northern Province | 11.1 |
More on Central Province: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government budget · Sri Lanka
Sources
- Central Bank of Sri Lanka (compiling the named official sources): Economic and Social Statistics of Sri Lanka 2026, chapter 2: Tables 2.4 (vehicles, Provincial Departments of Motor Traffic), 2.13, 2.16 and 2.18 (HIES 2019, Department of Census and Statistics), 2.20 (Ministry of Education), 2.26 (Department of Examinations), 2.30 (University Grants Commission) and 2.39 (Ministry of Health), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 babb9cbb27c5…)
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