Papua New Guinea Primary Completion Rate
Primary completion rate (% of relevant age group) SE.PRM.CMPT.ZS
Papua New Guinea's primary completion rate was 86.45% in 2025, ranked 112th globally. This represents a 4.5% increase from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1987–2025.
Overview
Papua New Guinea's primary completion rate stood at 86.45% in 2025, a rise of +3.71pp from 2023. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 86.45% by 2025. Papua New Guinea ranked 112th globally.
Papua New Guinea's Primary Completion Rate has experienced a notable improvement over the past two decades, rising from 50.07% in 1987 to 86.45% in 2025. This represents a substantial increase of 36.38 percentage points, with the country climbing to 112th globally in terms of this metric. The rate has not yet surpassed that of its regional peer, Malaysia, which boasts a 86.31% completion rate. Conversely, Papua New Guinea's progress has outpaced that of Nauru, which ranked 10th globally in 2025 with a 86.41% completion rate. By 1991, the Primary Completion Rate had reached a trough of 49.15%, a stark contrast to the present-day figure. Since then, the country has made significant strides in improving its education system. With a strong foundation in place, Papua New Guinea is poised to continue its upward trajectory, provided that investments in education infrastructure and teacher training remain a priority, potentially leading to further gains in the years to come.
Data & projection
| Year | Primary Completion Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* trend | 87.89% | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 86.45% | - | - |
| 2025 | 86.45% | +3.71pp | #112 |
| 2023 | 82.75% | +1.75pp | #105 |
| 2021 | 81.00% | +6.86pp | #116 |
| 2016 | 74.14% | +3.06pp | #125 |
| 2014 | 71.08% | +16.55pp | #121 |
| 2003 | 54.52% | +2.00pp | #108 |
| 2002 | 52.52% | +0.53pp | #115 |
| 2001 | 51.99% | −0.23pp | #108 |
| 2000 | 52.22% | +1.78pp | #100 |
| 1998 | 50.44% | +0.05pp | #29 |
| 1997 | 50.39% | −3.07pp | #36 |
| 1996 | 53.46% | −0.17pp | #32 |
| 1995 | 53.63% | −0.98pp | #32 |
| 1994 | 54.60% | +5.20pp | #33 |
| 1992 | 49.41% | +0.26pp | #36 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Papua New Guinea matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2022. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw primary completion rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Papua New Guinea's primary completion rate was 86.45% in 2025. Ranked 112th globally. This represents a 4.5% increase from the previous year.
Papua New Guinea's primary completion rate peaked at 86.45% in 2025.
The lowest primary completion rate in Papua New Guinea was 49.15% in 1991.
Papua New Guinea ranks 112th globally in primary completion rate as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SE.PRM.CMPT.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Papua New Guinea's primary completion rate is projected to reach 86.45% by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The primary completion rate of Papua New Guinea in 2025 was 86.45%. This ranks 112th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_papua-new-guinea_primary-completion-rate,
title = {Papua New Guinea Primary Completion Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/papua-new-guinea/primary-completion-rate/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}