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

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Lao PDR's primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group) fell 2 percentage points on 2024 (from 87.25% to 85.25%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2024), the average change was +1.32 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.7 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 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 5.86 percentage points in 2011 and the biggest yearly fall was 4.88 percentage points in 2019. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is downward, about 1.77 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 91% of the movement over 10 observed years.

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

How it compares

In 2025, Lao PDR had the 10th highest value of the 11 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 2025 ranking

• Dominica — 6th of 11: 91.05%
• India — 7th of 11: 90.26%
• Naoero — 8th of 11: 86.41%
• Gambia, The — 10th of 11: 84.17%
• Uzbekistan — 11th of 11: 83.58%

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 35 values

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

• Brunei Darussalam — 99.38% (2024)
• Cambodia — 90.99% (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)
• Macao SAR, China — 94.13% (2024)
• Malaysia — 87.74% (2024)

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 primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group)?

85.25% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1988?

It is up 43.92 percentage points from 41.33% in 1988. The highest value was 101.05% in 2017 and the lowest 39.66% in 1992.

How does Lao PDR rank?

10th highest of 11 economies with data for 2025.

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

In 2025, Lao PDR's primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group) fell 2 percentage points on 2024 (from 87.25% to 85.25%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2024), the average change was +1.32 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.7 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 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.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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