Viet Nam: Adolescents out of school (% of lower secondary school age)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Viet Nam's adolescents out of school (% of lower secondary school age) fell 0.98 percentage points on 2023 (from 3.05% to 2.07%).

Across the 11 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2023), the average change was −1.17 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.79 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 2.9 percentage points in 2021 and the biggest yearly fall was 3.26 percentage points in 2022. 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 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.56 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 55% 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 2024, Viet Nam had the 67th highest value of the 90 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 Viet Nam in the 2024 ranking

• Morocco — 63rd of 90: 2.31%
• Barbados — 64th of 90: 2.26%
• Israel — 65th of 90: 2.15%
• Jordan — 67th of 90: 1.97%
• Australia — 68th of 90: 1.85%
• Spain — 69th of 90: 1.79%

What this measures

Adolescents out of school are the percentage of lower secondary school age adolescents who are not enrolled in school.

Limitations: The administrative data used in the calculation of the rate of out-of-school children are based on enrolment at a specific date which can bias the results by either counting enrolled children who never attend school or by omitting those who enroll after the reference date for reporting enrolment data. Furthermore, children who drop out of school after the reference date are not counted as out of school. Discrepancies between enrolment and population data from different sources can also result in over- or underestimates of the rate.

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

All 15 values

Adolescents out of school (% of lower secondary school age) in nearby economies

• Australia — 1.85% (2024)
• Brunei Darussalam — 3.31% (2024)
• Cambodia — 17.59% (2024)
• Fiji — 2.85% (2023)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 0.68% (2024)
• Indonesia — 1.9% (2025)
• Japan — 0.03% (2023)
• Kiribati — 6.16% (2024)
• Korea, Rep. — 2.9% (2024)

More education data for Viet Nam

• 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 — 8.88 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 106.33% (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 380,535 (2024)
• School enrollment, preprimary (% gross) — 92.45% (2021)
• Pupil-teacher ratio, primary — 20.28 (2018)
• Secondary education, general pupils — 7.88 million (2018)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Viet Nam's adolescents out of school (% of lower secondary school age)?

2.07% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1977?

It is down 32.41 percentage points from 34.48% in 1977. The highest value was 34.48% in 1977 and the lowest 2.07% in 2024.

How does Viet Nam rank?

67th highest of 90 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in adolescents out of school (% of lower secondary school age) unusual for Viet Nam?

In 2024, Viet Nam's adolescents out of school (% of lower secondary school age) fell 0.98 percentage points on 2023 (from 3.05% to 2.07%). Across the 11 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2023), the average change was −1.17 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.79 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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.SEC.UNER.LO.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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