Average years of schooling among adults in Laos
Laos: Average years of schooling among adults was 6.06 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Average years of schooling among adults in Laos, 1990–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, average years of schooling among adults in Laos stood at 6.06 years. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 14.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average years of schooling among adults in Laos peaked at 6.06 years in 2021 and was at its lowest, 3.37 years, in 1990.
That places Laos 154th out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.8 years | 3.37 years | 4.18 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.57 years | 4.25 years | 4.9 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.42 years | 4.98 years | 5.85 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.03 years | 5.95 years | 6.06 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Laos
More education data for Laos
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Duration of pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 29.8% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 11 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 65.4% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 93.1% (2025)
- Primary education, teachers 21,845 (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 2.4 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 92.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average years of schooling among adults in Laos?
- Average years of schooling among adults in Laos was 6.06 years in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average years of schooling among adults recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 6.06 years in 2021.
- What is the lowest average years of schooling among adults recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.37 years in 1990.
- How does Laos rank for average years of schooling among adults?
- Laos ranks 154th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average years of schooling among adults rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average years of schooling among adults. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Average number of years (excluding years spent repeating individual grades) adults over 25 years participated in formal education.