Share of children who have completed primary school in Laos
Laos: Share of children who have completed primary school was 70.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of children who have completed primary school in Laos, 1981–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of children who have completed primary school in Laos is 70.1%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 12.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children who have completed primary school in Laos peaked at 70.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 33.8%, in 1981.
Laos ranks 140th of 165 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Share of children who have completed primary school in Laos, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 33.8% | — |
| 1982 | 34.3% | +1.5% |
| 1983 | 34.8% | +1.6% |
| 1984 | 35.3% | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 35.8% | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 36.1% | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 36.5% | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 36.8% | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 37.3% | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 37.6% | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 38.2% | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 39.0% | +2.1% |
| 1993 | 40.0% | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 41.3% | +3.1% |
| 1995 | 42.6% | +3.1% |
| 1996 | 44.0% | +3.2% |
| 1997 | 45.3% | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 46.6% | +3.0% |
| 1999 | 47.8% | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 48.9% | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 49.9% | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 51.1% | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 52.3% | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 53.5% | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 54.5% | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 55.4% | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 56.1% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 56.9% | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 57.8% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 58.6% | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 59.5% | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 60.2% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 61.1% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 61.9% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 62.6% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 63.4% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 64.2% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 65.0% | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 65.7% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 66.5% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 67.3% | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 68.1% | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 68.8% | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 69.5% | +1.0% |
| 2025 | 70.1% | +0.9% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 70.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 86.1%, 81% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Laos's 70.1% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 98.6%, 71% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 35.6% | 33.8% | 37.3% | 9 |
| 1990s | 42.2% | 37.6% | 47.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 53.6% | 48.9% | 57.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 62.2% | 58.6% | 65.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 68.4% | 66.5% | 70.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Laos
- 137 Equatorial Guinea 73.6% compare
- 138 Burkina Faso 72.2% compare
- 139 Rwanda 71.9% compare
- 141 Benin 70.1% compare
- 142 Sierra Leone 68.8% compare
- 143 Democratic Republic of Congo 68.4% compare
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 share of children who have completed primary school in Laos?
- Share of children who have completed primary school in Laos was 70.1% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children who have completed primary school recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 70.1% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of children who have completed primary school recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.8% in 1981.
- How does Laos rank for share of children who have completed primary school?
- Laos ranks 140th out of 165 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of children who have completed primary school rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.0%. 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) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children who have completed primary school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Share of children who are three to five years older than the official age for the last grade of primary education who have successfully completed it. This broader age band is used to include children who started school late or had to resit particular years.