Economy - overview:
The government of Laos, one of the few remaining one-party communist states, began decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise in 1986. Economic growth averaged more than 6% per year in the period 1988-2008, and Laos' growth has more recently been amongst the fastest in Asia, averaging more than 7% per year for most of the last decade.Nevertheless, Laos remains a country with an underdeveloped infrastructure, particularly in rural areas. It has a basic, but improving, road system, and limited external and internal land-line telecommunications. Electricity is available to 83% of the population. Agriculture, dominated by rice cultivation in lowland areas, accounts for about 20% of GDP and 73% of total employment. Recently, the country has faced a persistent current account deficit, falling foreign currency reserves, and growing public debt.Laos' economy is heavily dependent on capital-intensive natural resource exports. The economy has benefited from high-profile foreign direct investment in hydropower dams along the Mekong River, copper and gold mining, logging, and construction, although some projects in these industries have drawn criticism for their environmental impacts.Laos gained Normal Trade Relations status with the US in 2004 and applied for Generalized System of Preferences trade benefits in 2013 after being admitted to the World Trade Organization earlier in the year. Laos held the chairmanship of ASEAN in 2016. Laos is in the process of implementing a value-added tax system. The government appears committed to raising the country's profile among foreign investors and has developed special economic zones replete with generous tax incentives, but a limited labor pool, a small domestic market, and corruption remain impediments to investment. Laos also has ongoing problems with the business environment, including onerous registration requirements, a gap between legislation and implementation, and unclear or conflicting regulations.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (official exchange rate): GDP - real growth rate: GDP - per capita (PPP): Gross national saving: GDP - composition, by end use: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: Agriculture - products: Industries: Industrial production growth rate: Labor force: Labor force - by occupation: Unemployment rate: Population below poverty line: Household income or consumption by percentage share: Distribution of family income - Gini index: Budget: Taxes and other revenues: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): Public debt: Fiscal year: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Central bank discount rate: Commercial bank prime lending rate: Stock of narrow money: Stock of broad money: Stock of domestic credit: Market value of publicly traded shares: Current account balance: Exports: Exports - commodities: Exports - partners: Imports: Imports - commodities: Imports - partners: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Debt - external: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: Exchange rates:
$49.21 billion (2017 est.)
$46.03 billion (2016 est.)
$43.01 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 111
$17.15 billion (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
6.9% (2017 est.)
7% (2016 est.)
7.3% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
$7,400 (2017 est.)
$7,000 (2016 est.)
$6,600 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 156
18% of GDP (2017 est.)
14.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
14.5% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]
household consumption: 62.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 13.4%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 36%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 3.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 35.7%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -50.8% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]
agriculture: 20.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 33.2%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 39.1% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]
sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice; cassava (manioc, tapioca), water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry
mining (copper, tin, gold, gypsum); timber, electric power, agricultural processing, rubber, construction, garments, cement, tourism
8% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
3.582 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
agriculture: 73.1%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 6.1%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 20.6% (2012 est.)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]
1.5% (2016 est.)
1.5% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
22% (2013 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]
lowest 10%: 3.3%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 30.3% (2008)
36.7 (2008)
34.6 (2002)
country comparison to the world: 84
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]
revenues: $3.144 billion
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $4.098 billion (2017 est.)
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]
18.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]
-5.6% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]
67.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
65.6% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]
1 October - 30 September
2.3% (2017 est.)
2% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
4.3% (31 December 2010)
4% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 84
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]
18.5% (31 December 2017 est.)
18% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]
$1.303 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.243 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
$9.193 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$8.197 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
$9.52 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$8.381 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
$1.012 billion (2012 est.)
$576.8 million (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]
-$1.653 billion (2017 est.)
-$1.678 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]
$2.881 billion (2017 est.)
$2.705 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
wood products, coffee, electricity, tin, copper, gold, cassava
Thailand 40.1%, China 28.5%, Vietnam 13.7% (2016)
$5.852 billion (2017 est.)
$5.547 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods
Thailand 64.6%, China 16.5%, Vietnam 9.4% (2016)
$989.8 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$940.1 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]
$13.64 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$12.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
$15.14 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
$12.44 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]
kips (LAK) per US dollar -
8,231.1 (2017 est.)
8,129.1 (2016 est.)
8,129.1 (2015 est.)
8,147.9 (2014 est.)
8,049 (2013 est.)