Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) was 36.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Papua New Guinea, 1981–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Papua New Guinea recorded 36.9% for completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in 2025. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 8.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Papua New Guinea peaked at 36.9% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 15.6%, in 1981.
That places Papua New Guinea 148th out of 164 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 15.6% | — |
| 1982 | 16.0% | +2.6% |
| 1983 | 16.3% | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 16.6% | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 16.7% | +0.8% |
| 1986 | 16.9% | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 17.0% | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 17.2% | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 17.1% | -0.6% |
| 1990 | 17.3% | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 17.7% | +2.3% |
| 1992 | 18.5% | +4.2% |
| 1993 | 19.1% | +3.6% |
| 1994 | 20.0% | +4.4% |
| 1995 | 20.8% | +4.1% |
| 1996 | 21.8% | +4.9% |
| 1997 | 22.9% | +5.1% |
| 1998 | 24.2% | +5.6% |
| 1999 | 25.6% | +5.9% |
| 2000 | 27.3% | +6.7% |
| 2001 | 28.9% | +5.7% |
| 2002 | 30.2% | +4.4% |
| 2003 | 31.0% | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 31.8% | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 32.5% | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 33.0% | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 33.2% | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 33.2% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 33.1% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 33.3% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 33.6% | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 34.0% | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 34.2% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 34.2% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 33.9% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 33.5% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 33.2% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 33.4% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 33.6% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 34.1% | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 34.6% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 35.0% | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 35.7% | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 36.2% | +1.5% |
| 2025 | 36.9% | +1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 16.6% | 15.6% | 17.2% | 9 |
| 1990s | 20.8% | 17.3% | 25.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 31.4% | 27.3% | 33.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.7% | 33.2% | 34.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.4% | 34.1% | 36.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
More education data for Papua New Guinea
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 367,376 (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -9.44 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 434,899 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 11.7 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 9,943 (1999)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 0.852 % change on previous year (1999)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 20,178 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 20,710 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 3,498 (1999)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) -0.1427 % change on previous year (1999)
Frequently asked questions
- What is completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Papua New Guinea?
- Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Papua New Guinea was 36.9% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 36.9% in 2025.
- What is the lowest completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.6% in 1981.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data)?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 148th out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release