Laos

Economy

• GDP

  : 18.3 B$ (2025)

• GDP per capita

  : 2325 $ (2025)

• GDP growth

  : 4.5 % (2025)

• GDP, PPP

  : 81.7 B$ (2025)

• GDP per capita, PPP

  : 10383 $ (2025)

• Price level (relative cost of living)

  : 0.22 (2024)

• Inflation

  : 7.7 % (2025)

• Unemployment

  : 1.2 % (2025)

• Youth unemployment (ages 15-24)

  : 2.4 % (2025)

• Exports

  : 33.2 % (2016)

• Imports

  : 41.9 % (2016)

• Trade balance (goods and services)

  : -1.4 B$ (2016)

• Current account balance

  : 3.2 % (2024)

• Total reserves

  : 2.2 B$ (2024)

• Foreign direct investment

  : 6.0 % (2024)

• Poverty rate

  : 7.1 % (2024)

• Agriculture

  : 16.6 % (2025)

• Industry

  : 29.2 % (2025)

• Services

  : 43.6 % (2025)

• Remittances received

  : 1.5 % (2024)

• Outward foreign direct investment

  : 0.0 % (2022)

Demographics

• Population

  : 7.9 M (2025)

• Population growth

  : 1.3 % (2025)

• Net migration

  : -10 645 (2025)

• Population density

  : 33.2 (2023)

• Life expectancy

  : 69.2 yrs (2024)

• Fertility rate

  : 2.40 (2024)

• Birth rate

  : 20.9 (2024)

• Death rate

  : 6.19 (2024)

• Urban population

  : 40.3 % (2025)

• Rural population

  : 59.7 % (2025)

• Labor force

  : 3.7 M (2025)

• Infant mortality (under one year)

  : 3.2 % (2023)

• Age dependency ratio

  : 54.1 % (2023)

• Share of women in the population

  : 49.8 % (2025)

• Refugee population hosted

  : 80.0 (1987)

Social

• Education expenditure

  : 1.2 % (2023)

• Health expenditure

  : 1.3 % (2023)

• Gini index

  : 34.7 (2024)

• Internet users

  : 65.6 % (2024)

• Mobile subscriptions

  : 64.8 (2023)

• Access to electricity

  : 96.5 % (2024)

• Access to basic drinking water

  : 95.9 % (2024)

• Median income

  : 6 $ (2024)

• Income share of the top 10%

  : 28.5 % (2024)

• Primary school completion

  : 70.1 % (2025)

• Mean years of schooling

  : 6.1 yrs (2023)

• Harmonised learning outcomes

  : 368.1 (2020)

• Bank account ownership

  : 26.7 % (2024)

• Labour force participation (ages 25-64)

  : 69.1 % (2025)

• Gender pay gap

  : 18.0 % (2022)

Defense

• Armed forces personnel

  : 129 000 (2020)

• Military expenditure

  : 0.2 % (2013)

• Battle-related deaths

  : 249.0 (1990)

• Death rate from armed conflicts

  : 0.0 (2025)

Environment

• CO₂ per capita

  : 3.35 (2024)

• CO₂ (consumption-based) per capita

  : 3.21 (2022)

• Renewable energy

  : 49.2 % (2022)

• Renewable electricity production

  : 63.3 % (2021)

• Energy consumption

  : 880.6 (2023)

• Forest area

  : 71.5 % (2023)

• Threatened bird species

  : 30.0 (2022)

• Threatened fish species

  : 56.0 (2022)

• Threatened mammal species

  : 49.0 (2022)

• Electricity from coal

  : 23.3 % (2024)

• Electricity from gas

  : 0.0 % (2024)

• Electricity from hydropower

  : 76.5 % (2024)

• Electricity from nuclear

  : 0.0 % (2024)

• Electricity from solar

  : 0.2 % (2024)

• Electricity from wind

  : 0.0 % (2024)

• Greenhouse gases per capita

  : 3.61 (2024)

• Greenhouse gases (total)

  : 28.1 M (2024)

• Fine particulate exposure (PM2.5)

  : 27.0 (2024)

• Tree cover loss

  : 230 200 (2025)

• Renewables regulatory framework (RISE)

  : 23.9 (2023)

• Forest area (absolute)

  : 16 596 (2020)

Health

• DTP3 immunization coverage

  : 67.0 % (2024)

• Measles immunization coverage

  : 69.0 % (2024)

• Under-five mortality

  : 29.4 (2024)

• Maternal mortality ratio

  : 112.0 (2023)

• Non-communicable disease mortality (ages 30-70)

  : 26.5 % (2021)

• Hypertension prevalence (ages 30-79)

  : 31.4 % (2019)

• Adult obesity prevalence

  : 10.1 % (2022)

• Diabetes prevalence (ages 20-79)

  : 6.7 % (2024)

• Smoking prevalence, adults (age-standardized)

  : 25.4 % (2024)

• Universal health coverage

  : 64.0 (2023)

• HIV prevalence (ages 15-49)

  : 0.4 % (2024)

• Physicians

  : 0.33 (2022)

• Hospital beds

  : 1.71 (2023)

• Adolescent fertility (ages 15-19)

  : 81.9 (2024)

Public finances

• Government expenditure

  : 10.3 % (2022)

• Fiscal balance

  : 0.2 % (2022)

• General government debt

  : 128.5 % (2022)

• Primary balance

  : 0.0 % (2022)

Governance

• Control of corruption

  : -0.98 (2024)

• Government effectiveness

  : -0.58 (2024)

• Political stability

  : 0.56 (2024)

• Rule of law

  : -0.74 (2024)

• Regulatory quality

  : -0.64 (2024)

• Voice and accountability

  : -1.47 (2024)

• Political regime

  : 0.0 (2025)

• Free and fair elections

  : 0.0 (2025)

Business

• Investment (gross fixed capital formation)

  : 29.0 % (2016)

• New business density

  : 1.57 (2024)

• Credit to the private sector

  : 20.9 % (2010)

• Inward foreign direct investment (amount)

  : 988.5 M$ (2024)

Consumption

• Household consumption

  : 65.7 % (2016)

• Gross national savings

  : 17.6 % (2016)

Well-being

• Self-reported life satisfaction

  : 5.51 (2025)