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Laos GDP and Economic Data

Includes Laos real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, GDP composition and breakdown by sector.

Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Laos economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of Laos best banks and safest banks are also available.

 
 
Source
Central bank

Bank of the Lao PDR

Source
International Reserves

USD 1.39 billion (2020)

Source
Gross Domestic Product - GDP

USD 19.38 billion (2021 estimate)

Source
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

USD 62.31 billion (2021 estimate)

Source
Real GDP growth
2017 2018 2019 2020* 2021*
6.9% 6.3% 4.7% -0.4% 2.1%

*Estimate

Source
GDP per capita - current prices

USD 2,625.61 (2021 estimate)

Source
GDP per capita - PPP

USD 8,443.80 (2021 estimate)

Source
GDP (PPP) - share of world total

USD 0.04% (2021 estimate)

Source
 
 
Source
GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 16.2% 
  • industry: 32.1% 
  • services: 40.6%

(2016 estimate)

Source
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP)

N/A

 

Source
Inflation
2017 2018 2019 2020* 2021*
0.8% 2.0% 3.3% 5.1% 4.9%

*Estimate

Source
Unemployment rate

N/A

Source
Household saving rates

N/A

 

Source
Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
2017 2018 2019 2020* 2021*
57.2% 59.7% 61.1% 68.2% 70.9%

*Estimate

Source
Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2017 2018 2019 2020* 2021*
-4.6% -3.5% -3.1% -4.0% -3.4%

*Estimate

Source
Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: N/A

Moody's: N/A

Standard & Poor's / Moody's (Updated January 2017)

Source
Market value of publicly traded shares
2013 2014 2015
N/A N/A N/A
Source
Largest companies

N/A

Source
 
 
Source
Current account balance

USD -2.6 billion (2017 estimate)

Source
Current account balance by percentage of GDP

-17.6% (2017 estimate)

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Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)

36.0% (2015)

Source
Shares in world total merchandising export

0.01% (2015)

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Shares in world total commercial services export

0.02% (2015)

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Total exports

USD 3.1 billion (2016 estimate)

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Export commodities

Wood products, coffee, electricity, tin, copper, gold, cassava

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Total imports

USD 3.9 billion (2016 estimate)

Source
 
 
Source
Import commodities

Machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods

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Exports - major partners

Thailand 30.4%, China 27%, Vietnam 17.6% (2015)

Source
Imports - major partners

Thailand 60.9%, China 18.6%, Vietnam 7.3% (2015)

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FDI inflows
2013 2014 2015
USD 427 million USD 721 million USD 1,220 million
Source
FDI outflows
2013 2014 2015
USD 1.0 million USD 1.9 million USD 1.1 million
Source
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2012 2013 2014 2015
N/A N/A N/A N/A
Source
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014

N/A

Source
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015

N/A

Source
Best countries for doing business

Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking: 139 out of 190 countries (2017)

Subcategories:

Starting a business: 160 out of 190 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 88 out of 190 countries

Registering Property: 65 out of 190 countries

Getting Credit: 75 out of 190 countries

Protecting Minority Investors: 165 out of 190 countries

Trading Across Borders: 120 out of 190 countries

Paying Taxes: 146 out of 190 countries

Dealing with Construction Permits: 47 out of 190 countries

Getting Electricity: 155 out of 190 countries

Resolving Insolvency: 169 out of 190 countries

Source
Global competitiveness ranking

93 out of 138 countries

(2016-2017)

Source
Index of Economic Freedom

Ranking: 155 / Score: 49.83 (Repressed) (2016)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

Source
 
 
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Time zone

UTC+7

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Total area

236,800 sq km

Source
Capital

Vientiane (Viangchan)

Source
Currency

Kips (LAK)

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Government type

Communist state

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Languages

Lao (official), French, English, various ethnic languages

Source
Religions

Buddhist 66.8%, Christian 1.5%, other 31%, unspecified 0.7% (2005 est.)

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Total population
1990 2000 2010 2016* 2021*
4.245 million 5.388 million 6.396 million 7.163 million 7.87 million

*Estimate 

Source
 
 
Source
Urban population as % of total population
1960 1980 2000 2015
8% 12% 22% 39%
Source
Population median age

22.7 years (2016 estimate)

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Population growth rate

1.53% (2016 estimate)

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Life expectancy

64.3 years (2016 estimate)

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Literacy

Total population: 79.9%
Male: 87.1%
Female: 72.8%  (2015 est.)

(age 15 and over can read and write)

Source
% of population living on less than $3.10 a day

14.7% (2012)

Source
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

37.9 (2012)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

Source
Freedom House rating

Political Rights: 7
Civil Liberties: 6 (2017)                         

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)

Source
Total telephone subscribers as % of population

Fixed 13.71%   Mobile 53.10% (2015)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)

Source
Internet users as % of total population

18.2% (2015)

Source
Mercer Cost of living index

N/A

Source
CO2 emissions

0.3 (2010)

Source

World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks

2010

World's Best Banks By Region

2014
2013
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