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General profile: Lao People's Dem. Rep.

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR 2024
Exchange rate
Population
Population
Exchange rates
GDP
GDP
7.770 Millions
20 167.331 LAK/US$
16 034 Millions current US$
Land area¹
Land area
CPI growth (%)
CPI growth
GDP growth
GDP growth
(u) 230 800 km²
..
4.00 %
INTERNATIONAL MERCHANDISE TRADE
More data on UNCTADstat
+12.1 %
Merchandise exports growth rate in 2024
Total merchandise trade
(millions of US$)
2005
2010
2015
2024
Merchandise exports
553
1 746
3 653
9 386
Merchandise imports
882
2 060
5 675
8 663
Merchandise trade balance
-329
-314
-2 022
723
Export structure by product group in 2024
(as % of total exports)
8 %8 %31 %31 %17 %17 %15 %15 %14 %14 %16 %16 %
Top 5 partners in 2024
(exports, millions of US$)
3 4612 2441 6163883623 4612 2441 616388362
INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN SERVICES
More data on UNCTADstat
Total trade in services²
(millions of US$)
2005
2010
2015
2024
Services exports
204
511
844
(e) 1 732
Services imports
39
263
1 078
(e) 1 267
Services trade balance
165
248
-234
(e) 465
Services exports by main category²
(as % of total services)
2005
2010
2015
2024
Transport
17.9
10.9
8.0
-
Travel
68.1
74.7
85.8
-
Other services
14.0
14.4
6.2
-
TRADE INDICES
More data on UNCTADstat
20117216617716615213612911610068575654493229282815515317415210310210910397100105107111121118106109117117
ECONOMIC TRENDS
More data on UNCTADstat
+4.0 %
Gross domestic product growth rate in 2024
Economic indicators
(millions of US$ unless otherwise specified)
2005
2010
2015
2024
GDP, current
2 946
7 318
14 426
16 034
GDP per capita, current US$
502
1 155
2 121
2 064
Real GDP growth, y-on-y, %
6.77
8.13
7.27
4.00
Current account balance, % of GDP
-5.90
0.40
-15.72
(e) 3.31
Exchange rate (/US$)
10 655.167
8 254.163
8 127.611
20 167.331
GDP by expenditure in 2023
(as % of total GDP)
63.310.327.238.539.463.310.327.238.539.4
FDI AND EXTERNAL FINANCIAL RESOURCES
More data on UNCTADstat
..
FDI outflows as % of GDP in 2024
Financial flows
(millions of US$ unless otherwise specified)
2005
2010
2015
2024
FDI inflows
27.70
278.80
1 077.76
988.46
FDI outflows
-0.09
33.45
39.70
..
Personal remittances, % of GDP
..
..
1.31
1.56
Financial flows trends
(millions of US$)
250.0287.2239.8219.5232.2296.5239.9242.7189.4189.2188.0170.49881 6686361 0729687561 3581 6869351 07886868161830127919022832418728171952434FDI Inwards flowsFDI Inwards flowsFDI Inwards flowsMigrant's remittances receiptsMigrant's remittances receiptsMigrant's remittances receipts
TRADE IN GOODS AND SERVICES
More data on UNCTADstat
Trade balance indicators²
(as % and index)
2005
2010
2015
2024
Balance, % of GDP
-5.55
0.17
-15.07
(e) 7.41
Balance, % of imports
-17.77
0.58
-33.36
(e) 11.96
Normalized balance
-0.097
0.003
-0.200
(e) 0.056
Trade openness²
(sum of imports and exports as % of GDP)
1311171016962767672717575586255584851516157
LIVING AREA
Population by living area in 2024
(% of population)
Urban 39%Urban 39%Rural 61%Rural 61%
OTHER INDICATORS
More data on UNCTADstat
0 %
Share of the total world merchant fleet in 2024
Maritime transport indicators
 
2005
2010
2015
2024
Merchant fleet, national flag (thousands of DWT)
..
2
2
2
Container port throughput (TEU)
..
..
..
..
Information economy indicators
(as % of)
2005
2010
2015
2024
Share of ICT goods, % of total exports
-
0.08
9.64
-
Share of ICT goods, % of total imports
-
4.55
10.62
-
Share of workforce involved in the ICT sector
..
..
..
..
Source: UNCTADstat (http://unctadstat.unctad.org)
Notes:
1
Land area refers to the total area of a country excluding area under inland water bodies. It differs from the country area, that includes area under inland water bodies, but excludes offshore territorial waters.
2
Statistics presented correspond to the 6th edition of the IMF Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM6, 2009).
e
Estimated.
u
Estimated. Data refers to 2020.
Symbols for missing values:
0
Zero means that the amount is nil or negligible
..
No value reported or collected
_
Not applicable
...
Not available, including no quotation
#
Non-relevant calculation
-
Not publishable
***
Negative accumulation of flows; Value included in regional and global totals
Abbreviations & acronyms:
DWT:
Dead weight tons
FDI:
Foreign direct investment
GDP:
Gross domestic product
ICT:
Information and communication technology
TEU:
Twenty foot equivalent unit
US$:
United States dollar
Disclaimer:
The designations employed and the presentation of the material on UNCTADstat do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
Where the designations "economy" or "country or area" appear in texts or tables, they cover regions, countries, territories, cities or areas.

UNCTAD strives for the highest level of accuracy and is committed to promptly correcting any errors on its part. It does not guarantee or make any express or implied representations regarding the accuracy, reliability, correctness, fitness for use for a particular purpose, or otherwise, whatsoever, of any of the tables in UNCTADstat.
Generation date: 02 December 2025