Laos vs South Africa: Duration of compulsory education
Laos
9 years
in 2025
South Africa
9 years
in 2025
Laos rank
115th
South Africa rank
115th
Duration of compulsory education over time
- Laos
- South Africa
How they compare
Laos currently reports 9 years against 9 years in South Africa, a difference of 0 years.
Across all 28 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Laos ranks 115th and South Africa ranks 115th of 200 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Laos | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 years | 9 years | 4 years | South Africa |
| 2000s | 5 years | 9 years | 4 years | South Africa |
| 2010s | 6.6 years | 9 years | 2.4 years | South Africa |
| 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, Laos or South Africa?
- Laos, at 9 years against 9 years in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in duration of compulsory education between Laos and South Africa?
- 0 years, with Laos ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Laos and South Africa?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2025.
- How do Laos and South Africa rank globally for duration of compulsory education?
- Laos ranks 115th and South Africa ranks 115th of 200 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