Lao PDR: Adjusted net enrollment rate, primary (% of primary school age children)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2018, Lao PDR's adjusted net enrollment rate, primary (% of primary school age children) fell 1.02 percentage points on 2017 (from 92.49% to 91.47%).

Across the 23 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2017), the average change was +1.42 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.8 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.4 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 4.81 percentage points in 1993 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.65 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 2009 to 2018 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains less than 1% 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 2018, Lao PDR had the 47th highest value of the 66 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 Lao PDR in the 2018 ranking

• Bolivia — 44th of 66: 93.18%
• Seychelles — 45th of 66: 92.86%
• Azerbaijan — 46th of 66: 92.62%
• Armenia — 48th of 66: 90.84%
• Cambodia — 49th of 66: 90.69%
• Bhutan — 50th of 66: 90.07%

What this measures

Adjusted net enrollment is the number of pupils of the school-age group for primary education, enrolled either in primary or secondary education, expressed as a percentage of the total population in that age group.

Limitations: Enrollment indicators are based on annual school surveys, but do not necessarily reflect actual attendance or dropout rates during the year. Also, the length of education differs across countries and can influence enrollment rates, although the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) tries to minimize the difference. For example, a shorter duration for primary education tends to increase the rate; a longer one to decrease it (in part because older children are more at risk of dropping out). Moreover, age at enrollment may be inaccurately estimated or misstated, especially in communities where registration of births is not strictly enforced.

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

All 28 values

Adjusted net enrollment rate, primary (% of primary school age children) in nearby economies

• Australia — 96.5% (2017)
• Brunei Darussalam — 96.08% (2018)
• Cambodia — 90.69% (2018)
• Fiji — 99.44% (2016)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 96.27% (2018)
• Indonesia — 94.38% (2018)
• Kiribati — 96.09% (2017)
• Korea, Rep. — 97.55% (2017)

More education data for Lao PDR

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 5 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 11 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 739,554 (2025)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 93.14% (2025)
• Primary education, teachers — 21,845 (2025)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 92.64% (2025)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 93.63% (2025)
• Primary education, teachers (% female) — 54.89% (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Lao PDR's adjusted net enrollment rate, primary (% of primary school age children)?

91.47% in 2018, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1988?

It is up 26.53 percentage points from 64.94% in 1988. The highest value was 96.54% in 2014 and the lowest 57.91% in 1992.

How does Lao PDR rank?

47th highest of 66 economies with data for 2018.

Is the latest change in adjusted net enrollment rate, primary (% of primary school age children) unusual for Lao PDR?

In 2018, Lao PDR's adjusted net enrollment rate, primary (% of primary school age children) fell 1.02 percentage points on 2017 (from 92.49% to 91.47%). Across the 23 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2017), the average change was +1.42 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.8 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.4 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.TENR, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://uis.unesco.org/bdds, publisher: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) 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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