Laos
Top Sights & Landmarks
Background
Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th century under King FA NGUM. For 300 years, Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century, when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. Following more than 15 years of civil war, the communist Pathet Lao took control of the government in 1975, ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a one party--the Lao People's Revolutionary Party--communist state. A gradual, limited return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in the late 1980s. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997 and the WTO in 2013. In the 2010s, the country benefited from direct foreign investment, particularly in the natural resource and industry sectors. Construction of a number of large hydropower dams and expanding mining activities have also boosted the economy. Laos has retained its official commitment to communism and maintains close ties with its two communist neighbors, Vietnam and China, both of which continue to exert substantial political and economic influence on the country. China, for example, provided 70% of the funding for a $5.9 billion, 400-km railway line between the Chinese border and the capital Vientiane, which opened for operations in 2021. Laos financed the remaining 30% with loans from China. At the same time, Laos has expanded its economic reliance on the West and other Asian countries, such as Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. Nevertheless, despite steady economic growth for more than a decade, it remains one of Asia's poorest countries.
Location
Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
Area
Elevation
Detailed Geography Information
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Geography - note
landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand
Irrigated land
4,410 sq km (2022)
Land boundaries
Major rivers (by length in km)
Mènam Khong (Mekong) (shared with China [s], Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam [m]) - 4,350 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Pacific Ocean drainage: Mekong (805,604 sq km)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Natural hazards
floods, droughts
Natural resources
Terrain
mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Population & Growth
Age Distribution
Demographic Longevity
Vital Dynamics
Detailed People & Society Information
Alcohol consumption per capita
8.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
24.3% (2023 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
61.6% (2017 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 52.9 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 45.3 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 7.6 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 13.1 (2025 est.)
Education expenditure
1.2% of GDP (2023 est.) 8.2% national budget (2024 est.)
Ethnic groups
Gross reproduction rate
1.07 (2025 est.)
Health expenditure
2.7% of GDP (2021) 4.3% of national budget (2022 est.)
Hospital bed density
1.3 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 34.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 39.1 deaths/1,000 live births female: 31.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
Literacy
total population: 75.6% (2023 est.) male: 85.1% (2023 est.) female: 66.7% (2023 est.)
Major urban areas - population
721,000 VIENTIANE (capital) (2023)
Maternal mortality ratio
112 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Nationality
noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s) adjective: Lao or Laotian
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
5.3% (2016)
Physician density
0.33 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Population distribution
most densely populated area is in and around the capital city of Vientiane; large communities are primarily found along the Mekong River along the southwestern border; overall density is considered one of the lowest in Southeast Asia
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Religions
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 9 years (2023 est.) male: 9 years (2023 est.) female: 9 years (2023 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Tobacco use
total: 24.1% (2025 est.) male: 41% (2025 est.) female: 7.2% (2025 est.)
Climate & Issues
tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Land Cover
Air & Carbon Emissions
Water Resources & Use
Detailed Environmental Information
International environmental agreements
Urbanization
urban population: 38.2% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 351,900 tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 15.1% (2022 est.)
Capital & State Profile
Executive Branch
Legislative Branch
National Identity & Symbols
three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double-width), and red, with a large white disk centered in the blue band
Detailed Government Information
Administrative divisions
17 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural) and 1 prefecture* (kampheng nakhon); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxay, Champasak, Houaphanh, Khammouan, Louangnamtha, Louangphabang (Luang Prabang), Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan (Vientiane)*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xaisomboun, Xekong, Xiangkhouang
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Laos dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years
Constitution
history: previous 1947 (pre-independence); latest promulgated 13-15 August 1991 amendment process: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership and promulgation by the president of the republic
Country name
conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic conventional short form: Laos local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao local short form: Mueang Lao (unofficial) abbreviation: Lao PDR etymology: name means "Land of the Lao [people];" it derives from the name of the country's founder, Lao
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
International organization participation
Judicial branch
highest court(s): People's Supreme Court (consists of the court president and organized into criminal, civil, administrative, commercial, family, and juvenile chambers, each with a vice president and several judges) judge selection and term of office: president of People's Supreme Court appointed by the National Assembly upon the recommendation of the president of the republic for a 5-year term; vice presidents of the People's Supreme Court appointed by the president of the republic upon the recommendation of the National Assembly; appointment of chamber judges NA; tenure of court vice presidents and chamber judges NA subordinate courts: appellate courts; provincial, municipal, district, and military courts
Legal system
civil law system similar in form to the French system
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 3 (all cultural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Town of Luangphrabang; Vat Phou and Associated Ancient Settlements; Megalithic Jar Sites in Xiengkhuang - Plain of Jars
Political parties
Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP note: other parties proscribed
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economic Overview
lower middle-income, socialist Southeast Asian economy; one of the fastest growing economies; declining but still high poverty; natural resource rich; new anticorruption efforts; already high and growing public debt; service sector hit hard by COVID-19
Size & Performance
GDP Sector Breakdown
Trade Balance
Budget Balance
Export Profile
Top Export Partners
Major Export Commodities
Labor & Employment
Income Inequality
Family Income / Consumption Share
Detailed Economic Data
Agricultural products
Current account balance
$404.523 million (2023 est.) -$458.754 million (2022 est.) $431.636 million (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Debt - external
$9.619 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Exchange rates
kips (LAK) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 17,688.874 (2023 est.) 14,035.227 (2022 est.) 9,697.916 (2021 est.) 9,045.788 (2020 est.) 8,679.409 (2019 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
Industrial production growth rate
3.9% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
23.1% (2024 est.) 31.2% (2023 est.) 23% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Remittances
1.8% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.5% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.2% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$1.77 billion (2023 est.) $1.576 billion (2022 est.) $1.951 billion (2021 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Taxes and other revenues
12.1% (of GDP) (2022 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Grid Infrastructure
Generation Mix
Fossil Fuels Production
Intensity & Nuclear
Digital Access
Active internet users as a percentage of the total population.
Fixed Broadband
Mobile Cellular
Broadcast Media
Aviation
Railways
Merchant Marine
Military Expenditures
Active Duty Strengths
information limited and varied; estimated 30,000 active Armed Forces; estimated 100,000 Self-Defense Militia Forces (2025)
Service & Defense Details
Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF; aka Lao People's Army): Lao People's Army (LPA, includes Riverine Force), Lao People's Air Force (LPAF); Self-Defense Militia Forces (2025) note: the Ministry of Public Security maintains internal security and is responsible for law enforcement; it oversees local, traffic, immigration, and security police, village police auxiliaries, and other armed police units
the LPAF is armed with Chinese, Russian, and Soviet-era equipment and weapons (2025)
the LPAF’s primary missions are border and internal security, including counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, and counter-narcotics operations, as well as protecting the regime; its defense partners include Cambodia, China, Russia, and Vietnam (2025)
18 years of age for voluntary military service; mandatory military service for men 18-35 with a minimum 18-month service obligation (2025)