Poor Economic Conditions Keeping Lao Children Out Of School
Rising inflation, coupled with other macroeconomic challenges, is impacting Laos' growth. (Photo Credit World Bank)
By Vijian Paramasivam
PHNOM PENH, May 19 (Bernama) -- Children from low-income households in Laos continue to face barriers in accessing basic education.
The World Bank's latest data revealed that as of January 2025, 11.4 per cent of school-age children from disadvantaged backgrounds were not enrolled in school.
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This figure is more than double the 4.5 per cent rate observed among their peers from wealthier families.
Laos, one of the five socialist countries in the world, continues to face socio-economic challenges, including rising inflation, currency depreciation, poverty, and a weak labour market.
The inflation level in the landlocked country is around 11 per cent as of March, while the per capita income is about RM37,500 (US$8,700).
While access to basic education has improved over the years, schooling remains a distant dream to underprivileged groups.
Families continue to face difficulties in enrolling their children in schools due to the rising cost of living and limited income.
'The transformation of the labour market in Laos is astonishingly quick,' World Bank Country Manager for Laos Alex Kremer said in a statement last week.
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