A healthy, educated, and productive population is essential to the growth of all countries. The Lao PDR has one of the youngest populations in Asia, with almost half of the population below 25 years old, but to take advantage of this ‘demographic transition’ it needs to invest in its people.
Human capital is the knowledge, skills, and health that people accumulate throughout their lives, enabling them to reach their potential as productive members of society. Laos currently has a low human capital ranking, and this first Lao Human Capital Summit will seek agreement on how the country can boost its opportunities by investing in its people early, investing efficiently and investing for all.
The summit brings together central and provincial government leaders, under the guidance of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Planning and Investment, education experts, development partners, civil society and the private sector to reassess how Laos can accelerate learning and allocate enough resources to bring its schools and learning outcomes up to the standard needed to build a strong economy.