Lao PDR: Tertiary education, academic staff (% female)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Lao PDR's tertiary education, academic staff (% female) fell 1.21 percentage points on 2019 (from 40.95% to 39.74%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2019), the average change was +0.37 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 4.19 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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 12.54 percentage points in 2002 and the biggest yearly fall was 7.68 percentage points in 1974. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2011 to 2020 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.79 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 65% 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

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

Closest to Lao PDR in the 2020 ranking

• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 2nd of 4: 34%
• Afghanistan — 3rd of 4: 13.68%
• Chad — 4th of 4: 7.88%

What this measures

Tertiary education, academic staff (% female) is the share of female academic staff in tertiary education.

Limitations: The indicator measures the level of gender representation in the teaching profession, rather than the effectiveness and quality of teaching.

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

All 38 values

Tertiary education, academic staff (% female) in nearby economies

• Brunei Darussalam — 49% (2023)
• Cambodia — 24.45% (2024)
• Indonesia — 44.63% (2023)
• Korea, Rep. — 38.06% (2024)
• Macao SAR, China — 38.26% (2024)
• Malaysia — 49.45% (2024)
• Mongolia — 61.39% (2024)
• New Zealand — 54.29% (2024)
• Philippines — 51.18% (2023)
• Samoa — 40.59% (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 tertiary education, academic staff (% female)?

39.74% in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 25.46 percentage points from 14.29% in 1971. The highest value was 40.95% in 2019 and the lowest 8.55% in 1975.

Is the latest change in tertiary education, academic staff (% female) unusual for Lao PDR?

In 2020, Lao PDR's tertiary education, academic staff (% female) fell 1.21 percentage points on 2019 (from 40.95% to 39.74%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2019), the average change was +0.37 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 4.19 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.TER.TCHR.FE.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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