Cambodia: Primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Cambodia's primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group) rose 3.36 percentage points on 2023 (from 87.63% to 90.99%).

Across the 24 yearly changes before that (1998 to 2023), the average change was +2.53 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 5.29 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 14.33 percentage points in 1998 and the biggest yearly fall was 4.4 percentage points in 2015. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 20% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Cambodia had the 65th highest value of the 95 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Cambodia in the 2024 ranking

• Philippines — 61st of 95: 91.45%
• Togo — 62nd of 95: 91.22%
• Cuba — 63rd of 95: 91.15%
• Bolivia — 65th of 95: 90.96%
• Dominican Republic — 66th of 95: 89.98%
• Paraguay — 67th of 95: 88.71%

What this measures

Primary completion rate, or gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, is the number of new entrants (enrollments minus repeaters) in the last grade of primary education, regardless of age, divided by the population at the entrance age for the last grade of primary education. Data limitations preclude adjusting for students who drop out during the final year of primary education.

Limitations: The data do not account for students who drop out during the final year of primary education. Therefore, this rate serves as a proxy and should be considered an upper estimate of the actual primary completion rate. There are many reasons why the primary completion rate can exceed 100 percent. The numerator may include late entrants and overage children who have repeated one or more grades of primary education as well as children who entered school early, while the denominator is the number of children at the entrance age for the last grade of primary education.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 27 values

Primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group) in nearby economies

• Brunei Darussalam — 99.38% (2024)
• Fiji — 116.31% (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 91.68% (2024)
• Indonesia — 99.95% (2023)
• Kiribati — 92.81% (2024)
• Korea, Rep. — 102.85% (2024)
• Lao PDR — 85.25% (2025)
• Macao SAR, China — 94.13% (2024)
• Malaysia — 87.74% (2024)

More education data for Cambodia

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 2.27 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 108.97% (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 46,016 (2024)
• School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) — 21.44% (2024)
• Secondary education, general pupils — 955,656 (2018)
• School enrollment, preprimary (% gross) — 33.57% (2021)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Cambodia's primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group)?

90.99% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1997?

It is up 73.04 percentage points from 17.95% in 1997. The highest value was 93.36% in 2014 and the lowest 17.95% in 1997.

How does Cambodia rank?

65th highest of 95 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group) unusual for Cambodia?

In 2024, Cambodia's primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group) rose 3.36 percentage points on 2023 (from 87.63% to 90.99%). Across the 24 yearly changes before that (1998 to 2023), the average change was +2.53 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 5.29 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.CMPT.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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