East Asia & Pacific · Lower middle income
Laos: the economy in numbers
Per person: $2,325, or $10,383 at purchasing power parity. Population: 7.87 million (2025).
GDP in 2025, current US dollars: #136 of 204 economies. IMF forecast for 2026: +4.5%.
GDP
Adjusted for US inflation, in 2025 dollars: $5.45 billion in 1984, $18.3 billion in 2025.
GDP per capita
In 2025 dollars: $1,498 per person in 1984, $2,325 in 2025.
Real GDP growth
Average over 2016–2025: 4.4% a year. Years of falling GDP since 1980: 2 of 46.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Inflation
Consumer prices rose 6.59 times from 2000 to 2025. Highest annual inflation: 188.8% in 1980. Years with inflation above 100%: 3. The chart cuts the scale at 100%; “Full scale” shows everything.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Government debt, % of GDP
Highest since 2001: 115.7% of GDP in 2022. IMF forecast for 2031: 52.1%.
Population
1960: 2.12 million · 2025: 7.87 million.
Unemployment rate
1991: 2.5% · 2025: 1.2%.
Life expectancy at birth
1960: 41.0 years · 2024: 69.2 years.
Exports of goods and services
1984: 2.8% · 2016: 33.2%.
Data by year
Show the year-by-year table
| Year | GDP | GDP per capita | Per capita, PPP | Real growth | Inflation | Gov. debt, % GDP | Population | Unemployment | Life expectancy | Exports, % GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2031 | 3.0%f | 8.5%f | 52.1%f | |||||||
| 2030 | 3.0%f | 8.5%f | 57.5%f | |||||||
| 2029 | 3.5%f | 8.3%f | 61.8%f | |||||||
| 2028 | 4.0%f | 8.2%f | 66.5%f | |||||||
| 2027 | 4.5%f | 9.8%f | 71.9%f | |||||||
| 2026 | 4.5%f | 9.2%f | 79.8%f | |||||||
| 2025 | $18.3B | $2,325 | $10,383 | 4.5% | 7.7% | 88.8% | 7.87M | 1.2% | ||
| 2024 | $16.5B | $2,124 | $9,790 | 4.1% | 23.1% | 99.2% | 7.77M | 1.2% | 69.2 | |
| 2023 | $15.8B | $2,067 | $9,299 | 3.7% | 31.2% | 108.8% | 7.66M | 1.2% | 69.0 | |
| 2022 | $15.5B | $2,046 | $8,765 | 2.7% | 23.0% | 115.7% | 7.56M | 1.2% | 68.7 | |
| 2021 | $18.8B | $2,526 | $8,080 | 2.5% | 3.8% | 92.2% | 7.45M | 2.1% | 67.8 | |
| 2020 | $19B | $2,584 | $7,913 | 0.5% | 5.1% | 75.4% | 7.35M | 2.3% | 68.3 | |
| 2019 | $18.7B | $2,589 | $7,743 | 5.5% | 3.3% | 69.1% | 7.24M | 2.5% | 67.9 | |
| 2018 | $18.1B | $2,545 | $7,487 | 6.2% | 2.0% | 60.6% | 7.13M | 2.9% | 67.6 | |
| 2017 | $17.1B | $2,432 | $7,142 | 6.9% | 0.8% | 57.2% | 7.02M | 3.3% | 67.3 | |
| 2016 | $15.9B | $2,303 | $6,743 | 7.0% | 1.6% | 54.5% | 6.91M | 2.6% | 67.0 | 33.2% |
| 2015 | $14.4B | $2,121 | $6,086 | 7.3% | 1.3% | 53.1% | 6.8M | 2.0% | 66.7 | 34.0% |
| 2014 | $13.3B | $1,981 | $5,799 | 7.6% | 4.1% | 53.5% | 6.7M | 1.7% | 66.3 | 40.8% |
| 2013 | $12B | $1,813 | $5,222 | 8.0% | 6.4% | 49.5% | 6.61M | 1.5% | 65.7 | 38.2% |
| 2012 | $10.2B | $1,564 | $4,781 | 8.0% | 4.3% | 46.1% | 6.52M | 1.2% | 65.1 | 37.9% |
| 2011 | $8.75B | $1,362 | $4,100 | 8.0% | 7.6% | 43.0% | 6.43M | 1.0% | 64.5 | 40.3% |
| 2010 | $7.13B | $1,126 | $3,772 | 8.5% | 6.0% | 49.3% | 6.33M | 0.7% | 63.7 | 35.4% |
| 2009 | $5.84B | $935 | $3,485 | 7.5% | 0.1% | 51.8% | 6.24M | 0.8% | 63.0 | 30.1% |
| 2008 | $5.45B | $886 | $3,271 | 7.8% | 7.6% | 51.7% | 6.15M | 0.9% | 62.2 | 33.2% |
| 2007 | $4.22B | $697 | $3,021 | 7.6% | 4.7% | 55.9% | 6.06M | 1.1% | 61.7 | 33.6% |
| 2006 | $3.46B | $579 | $2,777 | 8.6% | 6.5% | 60.0% | 5.96M | 1.2% | 61.1 | 38.2% |
| 2005 | $2.74B | $466 | $2,519 | 7.1% | 7.2% | 73.2% | 5.87M | 1.4% | 60.7 | 29.0% |
| 2004 | $2.37B | $409 | $2,315 | 6.4% | 10.5% | 80.7% | 5.78M | 1.5% | 60.1 | 24.9% |
| 2003 | $2.02B | $355 | $2,151 | 6.1% | 15.5% | 90.1% | 5.7M | 1.6% | 59.6 | 23.5% |
| 2002 | $1.76B | $313 | $2,020 | 5.9% | 10.6% | 95.3% | 5.61M | 1.8% | 59.3 | 28.8% |
| 2001 | $1.77B | $320 | $1,908 | 5.8% | 7.8% | 94.7% | 5.52M | 1.9% | 58.9 | 27.9% |
| 2000 | $1.73B | $319 | $1,794 | 5.8% | 25.1% | 5.43M | 2.0% | 58.3 | 30.7% | |
| 1999 | $1.45B | $272 | $1,686 | 7.3% | 125.3% | 5.34M | 2.2% | 57.9 | 35.9% | |
| 1998 | $1.28B | $244 | $1,577 | 4.0% | 91.0% | 5.25M | 2.3% | 57.5 | 36.5% | |
| 1997 | $1.75B | $339 | $1,528 | 6.9% | 27.5% | 5.15M | 2.4% | 57.3 | 23.9% | |
| 1996 | $1.87B | $371 | $1,435 | 6.9% | 13.0% | 5.05M | 2.5% | 56.8 | 22.7% | |
| 1995 | $1.76B | $358 | $1,349 | 7.0% | 19.6% | 4.93M | 2.6% | 56.3 | 23.2% | |
| 1994 | $1.54B | $321 | $1,265 | 8.2% | 6.8% | 4.81M | 2.6% | 55.8 | 25.0% | |
| 1993 | $1.33B | $283 | $1,176 | 5.9% | 6.3% | 4.69M | 2.7% | 55.6 | 21.5% | |
| 1992 | $1.13B | $247 | $1,114 | 5.6% | 9.9% | 4.56M | 2.7% | 55.1 | 17.0% | |
| 1991 | $1.03B | $232 | $1,061 | 4.3% | 13.4% | 4.44M | 2.5% | 54.7 | 13.0% | |
| 1990 | $866M | $201 | $1,012 | 6.7% | 35.6% | 4.31M | 54.0 | 11.3% | ||
| 1989 | $714M | $170 | 14.2% | 61.3% | 4.19M | 53.6 | 12.1% | |||
| 1988 | $599M | $147 | −2.0% | 14.8% | 4.07M | 53.1 | 13.6% | |||
| 1987 | $1.09B | $275 | −1.4% | 6.1% | 3.96M | 52.6 | 6.1% | |||
| 1986 | $1.78B | $462 | 4.9% | 35.0% | 3.85M | 52.1 | 3.6% | |||
| 1985 | $2.37B | $633 | 5.1% | 114.7% | 3.74M | 51.6 | 4.0% | |||
| 1984 | $1.76B | $483 | 6.4% | 27.2% | 3.64M | 51.0 | 2.8% | |||
| 1983 | 3.0% | 62.5% | 3.54M | 50.5 | ||||||
| 1982 | 4.7% | 70.4% | 3.45M | 49.9 | ||||||
| 1981 | 15.3% | 33.7% | 3.37M | 49.2 | ||||||
| 1980 | 10.0% | 188.8% | 3.29M | 48.6 | ||||||
| 1979 | 3.23M | 47.5 | ||||||||
| 1978 | 3.17M | 46.8 | ||||||||
| 1977 | 3.12M | 46.4 | ||||||||
| 1976 | 3.06M | 46.0 | ||||||||
| 1975 | 3.01M | 46.1 | ||||||||
| 1974 | 2.94M | 45.9 | ||||||||
| 1973 | 2.87M | 44.7 | ||||||||
| 1972 | 2.8M | 44.4 | ||||||||
| 1971 | 2.73M | 44.1 | ||||||||
| 1970 | 2.67M | 43.8 | ||||||||
| 1969 | 2.61M | 43.5 | ||||||||
| 1968 | 2.55M | 43.2 | ||||||||
| 1967 | 2.49M | 42.9 | ||||||||
| 1966 | 2.43M | 42.3 | ||||||||
| 1965 | 2.38M | 42.2 | ||||||||
| 1964 | 2.32M | 41.9 | ||||||||
| 1963 | 2.27M | 41.5 | ||||||||
| 1962 | 2.22M | 42.3 | ||||||||
| 1961 | 2.17M | 41.3 | ||||||||
| 1960 | 2.12M | 41.0 |
e: IMF estimate; f: IMF forecast. Real growth: IMF data for 1980–1984, World Bank for the other years. Inflation: IMF data for 1980–1988, World Bank for the other years.
Nearby economies in East Asia & Pacific
Nearest by distance between capitals, with GDP per capita.
American Samoa · Australia · Brunei · Cambodia · China · Fiji · French Polynesia · Guam · Hong Kong · Indonesia · Japan · Kiribati · Laos · Macao · Malaysia · Marshall Islands · Micronesia · Mongolia · Myanmar · Nauru · New Caledonia · New Zealand · North Korea · Northern Mariana Islands · Palau · Papua New Guinea · Philippines · Samoa · Singapore · Solomon Islands · South Korea · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Tonga · Tuvalu · Vanuatu · Vietnam
Rankings
GDP by country · GDP per capita · Real GDP growth · Inflation by country · Government debt to GDP · Stock market to GDP · Population by country · Unemployment by country
Data and methods
- GDP: gross domestic product in current US dollars, converted from the local currency at market exchange rates (World Bank); not adjusted for inflation.
- Purchasing power parity (PPP): GDP per person in international dollars, which buy the same basket of goods and services in every country. It compares living standards across countries in the same year; it is not adjusted for inflation over time.
- In 2025 dollars: the charts can remove US inflation (US consumer price index, annual average) so that dollar amounts from different years compare in today's money. Exchange rate swings still show.
- Growth and inflation: World Bank data (calendar years). Years the World Bank does not cover yet, and the estimates and forecasts, come from the IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2026): its forecasts start in 2026, and the years after a country's last actual year are IMF estimates.
- Government debt: gross debt of the general government (central, state and local government and social security funds) as a percentage of GDP, IMF. The World Bank's central government debt is narrower and covers fewer countries.
- Stock market capitalization: the end-of-year value of domestic companies listed on the country's exchanges (World Federation of Exchanges via the World Bank; before 2016, Standard & Poor's), as a percentage of GDP: the “Buffett indicator”. Investment funds are excluded, and so are companies listed only abroad; companies from elsewhere that list on an exchange count for its country (Hong Kong lists many mainland Chinese companies).
- Unemployment: ILO modeled estimates (share of the labor force); comparable across countries, but they may differ from national figures.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)