Expanding early childhood education programs, especially in rural areas and for girls, and subsidizing costs can reduce gender disparities in education. Photo credit: ADB.

(KPL) Gender indicators in population and demography measure population, mortality, and divorce disaggregated by sex and other characteristics. Data on gender ratios, age distribution, gender-based violence, and gaps in education and employment help identify gender inequalities, which are essential for designing targeted interventions and policies to promote gender equality in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR).

This article analyzes gender statistics in the Lao PDR as published by the Lao Statistics Bureau in May 2025.

Analysis

Demography

The Lao PDR's population was recorded at 6.67 million, with a nearly equal gender distribution. By 2045, the population is projected to reach 9.4 million. The population pyramid shows a high proportion of young people (41.4%) and a smaller elderly population (4.5%).

The sex ratio in 2023 was projected to reach 100.4 males per 100 females. Female-led households are 17.7%, lower in rural areas. The total fertility rate is expected to decline from 3.0 in 2015 to 1.8 by 2045. Life expectancy will increase, with females living longer than males.

Figure 1: Distribution of Population by Age Group and Sex

Source: Lao PDR Population Projections 2015–2045, Lao Statistics Bureau.

Education

In the Lao PDR, gender inequalities in education are evident. Data shows that males generally have higher literacy rates than females, although the gap is narrowing among younger generations.

Figure 2: Percentage of Adult (15 years old and above) Population Reporting Ability to Read and Write, by Sex

Source: Statistics and Information Technology Center, Ministry of Education and Sports (Lao PDR Education and Sports Management Information System - LESMIS).

Early childhood education attendance is low, with 34% of girls and 30% of boys 3 to 4 years old attending programmes. Girls slightly outperform boys in early childhood development indices, particularly in literacy–numeracy and social–emotional development.

Teacher demographics reveal a significant gender imbalance, with over 99% of pre-primary teachers being female. In primary and secondary education, there are consistently more female teachers. Based on school enrollment data, more males are in preschool and primary levels, with a significant male majority in upper secondary school. Out-of-school rates are higher for boys across all education levels, especially in upper secondary.

Mobile usage is similar for males and females at 84%. More men use computers at 13% of the population compared to women at 9%, while internet usage is 61% for men and 57% for women. Men have higher digital skills proficiency (10.9%) compared to women (8.1%).

Figure 3: Number of Students by Sex and Female–Male Ratio for Enrolment, 2023

F= female, M = male.

Source: Statistics and Information Technology Center, Ministry of Education and Sports (Lao PDR Education and Sports Management Information System - LESMIS).

Reducing the gender gap in education and skills is crucial for economic growth, poverty reduction, health and well-being, social equality, and sustainable development. Educated women contribute significantly to the economy, secure better-paying jobs, have better health outcomes, and promote gender equality. Investments in this sector ensure that all individuals can contribute to and benefit from economic, social, and environmental progress.

Measures to reduce the gender gap in education and skills in the Lao PDR include increasing access to early childhood education by expanding early childhood education programmes, especially in rural areas and for girls, and subsidizing enrollment costs; introducing targeted interventions to reduce out-of-school rates by improving community engagement and offering scholarship programmes; developing gender-sensitive curricula to promote gender-sensitivity and ensure materials are free from gender stereotypes; providing regular training for teachers; improving women and girls’ digital skills by offering digital literacy programmes and providing computers, internet connection, and digital resources; engaging communities in promoting gender equality; and establishing mechanisms to monitor and evaluate progress through regular data collection and establishing feedback mechanisms to gather inputs from students and parents.

Labour and employment

The labour market reveals stark gender disparities. Majority of women (58.1%) are outside the labour force compared to 47.4% of men, often due to family care responsibilities. Data shows that unemployment rate for women stood at 1.9% and 2.8% for men in 2022. Women led 36% of enterprises in 2020, primarily in microenterprises and sectors like trade, manufacturing, and hospitality. Informal employment is higher among women than men, with a persistent gap despite slight decreases. Women also face a gender pay difference, earning less across agriculture, industry, and services sectors.

In public administration, 45% of women are at the lowest salary level compared to 33% of men. Additionally, women spend 48% of their day on unpaid domestic and care work, while men spend less than 40%.

Gender disparities in the labour industry highlight the need for targeted interventions to promote gender equality such as developing initiatives to empower women in business, including leadership training, mentorship programs, and gender diversity quotas, especially in the public sector to ensure minimum representation of women; promoting female entrepreneurship through financial support, such as grants or low-interest loans, and networking opportunities, such as workshops and online platforms, to foster a more balanced representation; and bridging the pay gap by encouraging companies to adopt transparent pay scales, mandate regular gender pay audits, enforce policies for equal pay for equal work, and publicly report pay disparities to drive accountability and change.

Health

From 2000 to 2020, the Lao PDR significantly reduced maternal mortality, reflecting improvements in maternal health. Infant mortality rates have also declined, with the gap between girls and boys narrowing. The mortality rate of children under 5 years old show similar progress. In 2023, 53.1% of women used contraception, with 75% opting for modern methods.

Maternal and newborn health care is more prevalent in urban areas. About 95% of urban women demonstrated skilled attendance at birth compared to 75% for rural. About 77% urban women access maternal and postnatal checkups compared to only 59% of rural women.

Food insecurity increased from 2019 to 2020, affecting more females. Anemia remains a concern, especially among pregnant women. Malnutrition among children under 5 years old is significant, with higher rates of children being underweight (25.1% boys, 23.4% girls) and stunted (34.6% boys, 31% girls).

Tobacco use is higher among men (36.8%) compared to women (3.8%) and more men also use alcohol (74.5%) than women (48.6%). Traffic accidents involve more male drivers and passengers, but females also experience accidents with varying degrees of injury and fatalities.

Health data calls for enhancing maternal and child health services, especially in rural areas, by increasing access through mobile health care units and providing specialized trainings; promoting modern contraceptive use through awareness campaigns on radio and social media, and offering subsidized contraceptives; improving nutrition programmes to combat anemia and malnutrition by implementing nutritious school feeding and community-based programmes; increasing food security initiatives targeting women through agricultural support programmes for seeds and tools and microfinancing; implementing public health campaigns to educate people to reduce tobacco and alcohol use; and improving road safety measures to reduce traffic accidents through education programmes in schools and communities and infrastructure improvements with safer pedestrian crossings and traffic signals.

Political and public life representation

Gender representation in political and public life remains uneven, with a slight male predominance in the civil service sector. In 2022, the Lao PDR had 78,110 male civil servants and 72,103 female civil servants, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.08. Females dominate in the Ministry of Public Health (M/F ratio 0.53) and Ministry of Education and Sports (M/F ratio 0.91). Males dominate in the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (M/F ratio 3.31) and Ministry of Energy and Mines (M/F ratio 3.18).

Achieving gender parity in governance requires developing concerted efforts to eliminate barriers to female participation, such as training on gender biases in various line ministries and support networks using the Lao Women’s Organization; implementing gender quotas through legislation to ensure more balanced decision-making bodies, in the ministries, and in the National Assembly; and promoting female candidates through leadership trainings organized by development partners in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Sports.

Family and relationships

The prevalence of early marriages, with one-third of all women aged 20–24 reporting that they were married before 18, highlights a critical area needing intervention. The rates are higher in rural (36.3%) and economically disadvantaged (48.5%) populations. In 2023, 83 live births per 1,000 adolescent females aged 15–19 were recorded, with higher rates in rural areas (136 live births). Additionally, 7% of women reported experiencing intimate partner violence in 2014.

Changing societal norms and protecting girls' rights needs a multi-pronged approach that involves enforcing existing laws, including holding accountable violators of the child marriage law, and legal reform measures such as free legal aid to victims of gender violence; engaging the community, especially involving men and boys in gender equality initiatives, such as respect for women’s rights and positive masculinity; conducting educational campaigns through school-based programmes and media that highlight success stories of women who have benefited by staying in school; providing a safe school environment with improved infrastructure and sanitation facilities to ensure girls stay in school; and offering economic opportunities through vocational trainings to help achieve financial independence and reduce the incidence of early marriages.

Conclusion

Inclusive development is not just a goal but a continuous process that demands systemic change and societal commitment. Addressing gender disparities in literacy, labour force participation, leadership, pay, and representation, and tackling the issue of early marriages can pave the way for a more equitable and prosperous future. These improvements require collaborative efforts from governments, businesses, and communities to create an environment where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

KPL