South Korea vs Laos: Duration of compulsory education (years)
South Korea
9 years
in 2025
Laos
9 years
in 2025
South Korea rank
120th
Laos rank
120th
Duration of compulsory education (years) over time
- South Korea
- Laos
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 9 years against 9 years in Laos, a difference of 0 years.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 28 shared years of data; in 1998 it was South Korea ahead.
South Korea ranks 120th and Laos ranks 120th of 206 countries.
South Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | Laos | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6 years | 5 years | 1 years | South Korea |
| 2000s | 8.1 years | 5 years | 3.1 years | South Korea |
| 2010s | 9 years | 6.6 years | 2.4 years | South Korea |
| 2020s | 9 years | 9 years | 0 years | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher duration of compulsory education, South Korea or Laos?
- South Korea, at 9 years against 9 years in Laos as of 2025.
- What is the difference in duration of compulsory education between South Korea and Laos?
- 0 years, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Laos?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2025.
- How do South Korea and Laos rank globally for duration of compulsory education?
- South Korea ranks 120th and Laos ranks 120th of 206 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Duration of compulsory education (years). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release