Official name:
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
المنطقة:
General Information
| Region | South-eastern Asia | |
| Population (000, 2025) | 7 873a | |
| Pop. density (per km2, 2025) | 34.1a | |
| Capital city | Vientiane | |
| Capital city pop. (000, 2025) | 673.1c | |
| UN membership date | 14 December 1955 | |
| Surface area (km2) | 236 800b | |
| Sex ratio (m per 100 f) | 101a | |
| National currency | Lao Kip (LAK) | |
| Exchange rate (per US$) | 19 162.0b |
Economic indicators
| 2015 | 2020 | 2025 | |
| GDP: Gross domestic product (million current US$) | 14 426 | 19 116 | 15 008b |
| GDP growth rate (annual %, const. 2015 prices) | 7.3 | 3.3 | 4.2b |
| GDP per capita (current US$) | 2 121.0 | 2 602.0 | 1 958.0b |
| Economy: Agricultured,e (% of Gross Value Added) | 19.7 | 18.4 | 23.6b |
| Economy: Industrye,f (% of Gross Value Added) | 31 | 37.2 | 36.1b |
| Economy: Services and other activitye,g (% of GVA) | 49.4 | 44.4 | 40.3b |
| Employment in agricultureh (% of employed) | 64.1 | 66.3 | 69.6b |
| Employment in industryh (% of employed) | 9.4 | 8.1 | 7.3b |
| Employment in servicesh (% employed) | 26.5 | 25.5 | 23b |
| Unemploymenth (% of labour force) | 2.5 | 2.4 | 1.3 |
| Labour force participation rateh (female/male pop. %) | 56.2 / 63.9 | 58.6 / 67.1 | 61.6 / 70.9 |
| CPI: Consumer Price Indexh (2010=100) | 126 | 143 | 294i |
| Agricultural production index (2014-2016=100) | 104 | 108 | 129b |
| International trade: exports (million current US$) | 2 985 | 5 087h | 7 786h,i |
| International trade: imports (million current US$) | 3 778 | 5 014 | 6 753h,i |
| International trade: balance (million current US$) | -793 | 73h | 1 034h,i |
| Balance of payments, current account (million US$) | - 2 268 | -304 | 405b |
Social indicators
| 2015 | 2020 | 2025 | |
| Population growth rate (average annual %) | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.3a |
| Urban population (% of total population) | 33.1 | 35.6c | ... |
| Urban population growth rate (average annual %) | 3.2k | ... | ... |
| Fertility rate, total (live births per woman) | 2.8 | 2.5 | 2.4a |
| Life expectancy at birth (females/males, years) | 68.9 / 64.6 | 71.0 / 65.9 | 71.8 / 67.3a |
| Population age distributionl (0-14/60+ years old, %) | 33.2 / 6.3 | 31.6 / 6.8 | 29.8 / 7.7a |
| International migrant stockm,n (000/% of total pop.) | 45.5 / 0.7 | 48.7 / 0.7 | 51.4 / 0.7i |
| Refugees and others of concern to UNHCR (000) | ... | ~0.0 | 0b |
| Under five mortality rate (per 1000 live births) | 53.3 | 43.5 | 35.7a |
| Health: Current expenditureo (% of GDP) | 2.5 | 2.1 | 2p |
| Health: Physicians (per 1 000 pop.) | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.3p |
| Education: Primary gross enrol. ratio (f/m per 100 pop.) | 111.5 / 117.0 | 98.6 / 101.9 | 93.1 / 94.6i |
| Education: Lowr. sec. gross enrol. ratio (f/m per 100 pop.) | 72.9 / 78.3 | 71.3 / 73.5 | 64.3 / 64.9b |
| Education: Upr. Sec. gross enrol. ratio (f/m per 100 pop.) | 42.2 / 46.8 | 46.0 / 51.4 | 38.3 / 42.9b |
| Seats held by women in national parliaments (%) | 25 | 27.5q | 22q |
Environment and infrastructure indicators
| 2015 | 2020 | 2025 | |
| Individuals using the Internet (per 100 inhabitants) | 18.2h | 54 | 63.6h,b |
| Threatened species (number) | 210 | 250 | 339i |
| Forested area (% of land area) | 72.7 | 71.9 | 71.6p |
| CO2 emission estimates (million tons/tons per capita) | 8.3 / 1.2 | 16.6 / 2.3 | 18.4 / 2.4p |
| Energy production, primary (Petajoules) | 162 | 297 | 375p |
| Energy supply per capita (Gigajoules) | 25 | 31 | 34p |
| Tourist/visitor arrivals at national borders (000) | 3 543 | 812 | ... |
| Important sites for terrestrial biodiversity protected (%) | 28.2 | 39.5 | 48.5i |
| Pop. using safely managed drinking water (urban/rural, %) | 25.8 / 11.0 | 27.0 / 12.4 | 27.0 / 12.4p |
| Pop. using safely managed sanitation (urban/rural, %) | 60.4 / 50.7 | 63.3 / 59.8 | 63.3 / 59.8p |
| Net Official Development Assist. received (% of GNI) | 3.42 | 2.97 | 3.51b |