Lao PDR: Pupil-teacher ratio, tertiary

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2018, Lao PDR's pupil-teacher ratio, tertiary fell 0.67 on 2017 (from 11.97 to 11.3).

Across the 28 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2017), the average change was +0.11 and a typical year strayed about 3 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below 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 4.65 in 2008 and the biggest yearly fall was 8.3 in 1973. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2010 to 2018 the straight-line trend is downward, about 1.34 a year. A straight line explains 74% of the movement over 8 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 2018, Lao PDR had the 36th highest value of the 45 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

• Malaysia — 33rd of 45: 13.35
• Brunei Darussalam — 34th of 45: 12.42
• Uzbekistan — 35th of 45: 11.93
• Kyrgyz Republic — 37th of 45: 11.08
• Ukraine — 38th of 45: 10.33
• Azerbaijan — 39th of 45: 9.92

What this measures

Tertiary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in tertiary school.

Limitations: The comparability of pupil-teacher ratios across countries is affected by the definition of teachers and by differences in class size by grade and in the number of hours taught, as well as the different practices countries employ such as part-time teachers, school shifts, and multi-grade classes. Moreover, the underlying enrollment levels are subject to a variety of reporting errors.

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

All 37 values

Pupil-teacher ratio, tertiary in nearby economies

• Brunei Darussalam — 12.42 (2018)
• Cambodia — 13.88 (2017)
• Indonesia — 27.26 (2018)
• Korea, Rep. — 14.28 (2017)
• Macao SAR, China — 14.37 (2018)
• Malaysia — 13.35 (2018)
• Mongolia — 23.09 (2018)
• Myanmar — 35.52 (2018)
• New Zealand — 15.96 (2017)
• Philippines — 23.73 (2017)
• Singapore — 13.34 (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 pupil-teacher ratio, tertiary?

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

How has it changed since 1971?

It is down 44.05% from 20.19 in 1971 (1.23% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 29.41 in 2008 and the lowest 5.45 in 1975.

How does Lao PDR rank?

36th highest of 45 economies with data for 2018.

Is the latest change in pupil-teacher ratio, tertiary unusual for Lao PDR?

In 2018, Lao PDR's pupil-teacher ratio, tertiary fell 0.67 on 2017 (from 11.97 to 11.3). Across the 28 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2017), the average change was +0.11 and a typical year strayed about 3 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below 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.TER.ENRL.TC.ZS, 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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