Education in Western Province, Sri Lanka: official figures
Government schools in Western Province had 803,921 pupils and 45,318 teachers in 2025 (provisional), 17.7 pupils per teacher, the highest of the 9 provinces (Sri Lanka: 15.5).
How do students in Western Province do in the O/L exams?
74.5% of Western Province's 81,244 school candidates who sat the GCE Ordinary Level exam in 2024 (five or more subjects) qualified for Advanced Level, 2nd 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 Western Province go to university?
11,232 students from Western Province were admitted to state universities in 2023/2024, 184 per 100,000 residents, 5th highest of the 9 provinces; they were 25.0% of all admissions (2022/2023: 10,927).
Source: Central Bank of Sri Lanka (compiling the named official sources) · saved copyMore figures
- Enrolment in Western Province's government schools fell by 13.7% between 2019 and 2025 (Sri Lanka: fell by 7.7%). Source: Central Bank of Sri Lanka (compiling the named official sources) · saved copy
- 21.8% of people in Western Province had passed the GCE Advanced Level or gone further in the 2019 Household Income and Expenditure Survey, the highest of the 9 provinces (Sri Lanka: 15.1%). Source: Central Bank of Sri Lanka (compiling the named official sources) · saved copy
How Western Province compares with other provinces
GCE O/L school candidates qualifying for A/L (2024)
Western Province ranks 2 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)
Western Province ranks 1 of 9, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Pupils per teacher in government schools |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Province | 17.7 |
| 2 | North Central Province | 16.8 |
| 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 |
More on Western 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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