School enrollment, secondary (% gross) in Laos
Laos: School enrollment, secondary (% gross) was 50.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
School enrollment, secondary in Laos, 1971–2025
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % gross.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school enrollment, secondary in Laos is 50.5%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 18.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school enrollment, secondary in Laos peaked at 66.2% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 1971.
That places Laos 171st out of 203 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 47 years of available data.
School enrollment, secondary (% gross) in Laos, year by year
| Year | % gross | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 3.7% | — |
| 1972 | 4.3% | +14.5% |
| 1973 | 4.8% | +12.6% |
| 1977 | 11.5% | +138.9% |
| 1978 | 14.8% | +28.7% |
| 1979 | 17.4% | +17.7% |
| 1980 | 18.1% | +4.2% |
| 1981 | 19.3% | +6.5% |
| 1984 | 20.5% | +6.6% |
| 1985 | 21.1% | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 21.0% | -0.3% |
| 1988 | 23.7% | +12.8% |
| 1990 | 22.9% | -3.3% |
| 1992 | 19.9% | -13.0% |
| 1993 | 21.6% | +8.6% |
| 1994 | 23.4% | +8.3% |
| 1995 | 24.0% | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 24.1% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 25.9% | +7.3% |
| 1998 | 28.1% | +8.7% |
| 1999 | 31.1% | +10.7% |
| 2000 | 33.3% | +6.8% |
| 2001 | 35.2% | +5.8% |
| 2002 | 37.9% | +7.8% |
| 2003 | 40.7% | +7.2% |
| 2004 | 42.5% | +4.5% |
| 2005 | 43.0% | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 42.2% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 43.0% | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 44.1% | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 45.7% | +3.5% |
| 2010 | 47.4% | +3.6% |
| 2011 | 46.3% | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 49.0% | +5.9% |
| 2013 | 52.7% | +7.4% |
| 2014 | 58.0% | +10.2% |
| 2015 | 62.3% | +7.4% |
| 2016 | 64.8% | +4.0% |
| 2017 | 66.0% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 66.2% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 65.0% | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 62.4% | -3.9% |
| 2021 | 59.9% | -4.2% |
| 2022 | 56.9% | -5.0% |
| 2023 | 54.4% | -4.3% |
| 2024 | 51.9% | -4.7% |
| 2025 | 50.5% | -2.5% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 50.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 64.8%, 78% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Laos's 50.5% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 92.3%, 55% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where School enrollment, secondary (% gross) in Laos changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | +138.9% | 4.8% | 11.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 9.4% | 3.7% | 17.4% | 6 |
| 1980s | 20.6% | 18.1% | 23.7% | 6 |
| 1990s | 24.6% | 19.9% | 31.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 40.8% | 33.3% | 45.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.8% | 46.3% | 66.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 56.0% | 50.5% | 62.4% | 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 school enrollment, secondary in Laos?
- School enrollment, secondary in Laos was 50.5% in 2025, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest school enrollment, secondary recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 66.2% in 2018.
- What is the lowest school enrollment, secondary recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 1971.
- How does Laos rank for school enrollment, secondary?
- Laos ranks 171st out of 203 countries with data for 2025.
- Is school enrollment, secondary rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of School enrollment, secondary (% gross). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Secondary education completes the provision of basic education that began at the primary level, and aims at laying the foundations for lifelong learning and human development, by offering more subject- or skill-oriented instruction using more specialized teachers.