School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) (both) in Laos
Laos: School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) (both) was 10.48 years in 2019. ▲ Rising
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Laos, 1971–2019
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Laos is 10.48 years, measured in 2019.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.5% on the previous year and up 7.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Laos peaked at 11.22 years in 2015 and was at its lowest, 3.76 years, in 1971.
That places Laos 148th out of 183 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) (both) in Laos, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 3.76 years | — |
| 1972 | 4 years | +6.6% |
| 1973 | 4.03 years | +0.6% |
| 1980 | 6.25 years | +55.2% |
| 1981 | 6.37 years | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 6.19 years | -2.8% |
| 1985 | 6.21 years | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 6.38 years | +2.7% |
| 1988 | 6.88 years | +7.9% |
| 1990 | 6.59 years | -4.3% |
| 1993 | 6.88 years | +4.4% |
| 1994 | 7.16 years | +4.1% |
| 1995 | 6.84 years | -4.5% |
| 1996 | 7.45 years | +8.9% |
| 1997 | 7.67 years | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 7.92 years | +3.2% |
| 1999 | 8 years | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 8.01 years | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 8.27 years | +3.3% |
| 2003 | 8.61 years | +4.0% |
| 2004 | 8.77 years | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 8.99 years | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 9.08 years | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 9.27 years | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 9.44 years | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 9.74 years | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 9.95 years | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 10.35 years | +4.0% |
| 2012 | 10.51 years | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 10.81 years | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 11.09 years | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 11.22 years | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 11.16 years | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 10.99 years | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 10.63 years | -3.2% |
| 2019 | 10.48 years | -1.5% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 10.48 years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.24 years, 93% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Laos's 10.48 years is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 13.38 years, 78% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) (both) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +55.2% | 4.03 years | 6.25 years |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.93 years | 3.76 years | 4.03 years | 3 |
| 1980s | 6.38 years | 6.19 years | 6.88 years | 6 |
| 1990s | 7.31 years | 6.59 years | 8 years | 8 |
| 2000s | 8.82 years | 8 years | 9.74 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.72 years | 9.95 years | 11.22 years | 10 |
Countries ranked near Laos
More education data for Laos
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 89.6 (2025)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 89.64 (2025)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Laos?
- School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Laos was 10.48 years in 2019, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 11.22 years in 2015.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.76 years in 1971.
- How does Laos rank for school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes?
- Laos ranks 148th out of 183 countries with data for 2019.
- Is school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.6%. 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 life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Expected years of schooling is the number of years a child of school entrance age is expected to spend at school, or university, including years spent on repetition. It is the sum of the age-specific enrolment ratios for primary, secondary, post-secondary non-tertiary and tertiary education.