Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Laos
Laos: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 89.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Laos, 1992–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Laos recorded 89.6% for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 4.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Laos peaked at 94.9% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 52.3%, in 1992.
Laos ranks 131st of 190 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Laos, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 52.3% | — |
| 1993 | 56.6% | +8.2% |
| 1994 | 60.2% | +6.4% |
| 1996 | 63.5% | +5.4% |
| 1997 | 66.3% | +4.4% |
| 1998 | 69.6% | +5.0% |
| 1999 | 70.7% | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 71.5% | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 71.1% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 72.5% | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 75.2% | +3.7% |
| 2004 | 76.1% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 76.9% | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 77.4% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 80.1% | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 82.6% | +3.2% |
| 2009 | 85.4% | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 90.1% | +5.4% |
| 2011 | 90.7% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 91.1% | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 93.8% | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 94.9% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 94.3% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 93.6% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 92.8% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 92.2% | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 92.3% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 92.3% | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 92.3% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 90.2% | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 90.2% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 89.5% | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 89.6% | +0.1% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 89.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 90.6%, 99% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Laos's 89.6% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 95.4%, 94% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 62.7% | 52.3% | 70.7% | 7 |
| 2000s | 76.9% | 71.1% | 85.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 92.6% | 90.1% | 94.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 90.7% | 89.5% | 92.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Laos
More education data for Laos
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 35,584 (2022)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 16,396 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 116,303 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 115,863 (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 532,092 (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 739,554 (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.0716 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0939 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Laos?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Laos was 89.6% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 94.9% in 2014.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 52.3% in 1992.
- How does Laos rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Laos ranks 131st out of 190 countries with data for 2025.
- Is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of girls of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.