East Asia & Pacific

Laos: official statistics and sources

8 official bodies for Laos, from Lao Statistics Bureau to Ministry of Industry and Commerce, with key figures from the World Bank and IMF. Official language: Lao. Capital: Vientiane.

Who holds power in Laos

• Head of state: Thongloun Sisoulith (President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic)
• Head of government: Saleumxay Kommasith (Prime Minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic)
• Foreign minister: Thongsavanh Phomvihane (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic)

Source: UN Protocol and Liaison Service list, dated 15 October 2026. All world leaders.

Unitary one-party socialist republic. How local power works in Laos: 4 tiers of government below the nation, who is elected and who they answer to.

Part of level 6 of the 10 levels of power.

Government, regions and cities

• Government and power in Laos: leaders, governance scores, women in parliament, spending and the bodies that hold power to account
• All 18 provinces: Savannakhet, Vientiane Capital, Champasak, Luang Prabang, Vientiane…
• Vientiane (capital)

Key figures

What the figures show

The World Bank puts Laos's population at 7.9 million in 2025, up from 6.8 million in 2015. Of the 30 UN members in the World Bank's East Asia and Pacific region, 13 have more people; worldwide it comes 102nd.

GDP for 2025 was $18.3 billion at current dollar prices, according to the World Bank. That works out at $2,325 a head; the regional median is $6,547.

Real GDP grew by 4.5% in 2025, World Bank figures show. For 2026 the IMF expects 4.5%.

Across 2025 the annual rate was 7.7%. The IMF forecasts 9.2% for 2026.

The ILO's modelled unemployment rate for 2025 is 1.2%; the national statistics office may publish a different figure from its own survey.

The IMF records general government gross debt of 88.8% of GDP for 2025, compared with a median of 45.0% across the World Bank's East Asia and Pacific region; its 2026 projection is 79.8%.

Life expectancy at birth: 69.2 years (2024).

• Annual inflation since 2015: highest 31.2% (2023), lowest 0.8% (2017).
• Debt ratio 2015: 53.1%; 2025: 88.8%.
• GDP per person in dollars, 2015 to 2025: +10%.

Figures checked 2026-10-13; how they are compiled.

Official sources in Laos

Statistics office prices, jobs, people, output

• Lao Statistics Bureau (ສູນສະຖິຕິແຫ່ງຊາດ)
  Lao census, consumer price index, national accounts, labour force and expenditure survey results.

Central bank interest rates and money

• Bank of the Lao PDR (ທະນາຄານແຫ່ງ ສປປ ລາວ)
  Exchange rates, monetary statistics, annual reports and banking regulations.

Parliament debates, votes, bills

• National Assembly (ສະພາແຫ່ງຊາດ)
  Laws adopted, session records and members of the National Assembly. Not in English.

Government

• Ministry of Finance (ກະຊວງການເງິນ)
  State budget documents, public debt reports and fiscal regulations. Not in English.

Public audit how public money was spent

• State Audit Organization (ອົງການກວດສອບແຫ່ງລັດ)
  Audit reports and plans on state budget execution and public entities. Not in English.

Regulators

• Lao Securities Commission Office (ສຳນັກງານຄະນະກຳມະການຄຸ້ມຄອງຫຼັກຊັບ)
  Securities regulations, licensed entities and capital market announcements.
• Ministry of Technology and Communications (ກະຊວງເຕັກໂນໂລຊີ ແລະ ການສື່ສານ)
  Telecoms and internet regulations, licences and digital policy documents. Not in English.

Public registers companies, land, charities

• Ministry of Industry and Commerce (ກະຊວງອຸດສາຫະກຳ ແລະ ການຄ້າ)
  Enterprise registration rules and business licensing information, trade statistics and ministry notices.

Notes

The government portal laogov.gov.la refused connections on 2026-10-13 and is not listed.

No reachable website was found for the People's Supreme Court; peoplecourt.gov.la did not resolve on 2026-10-13.

Freedom of information in Laos

No general access-to-information law for Laos was found in the official sources checked on 2026-10-13. No national access-to-information law could be found in the official legislation sources checked on 2026-10-13 (Lao Official Gazette, laoofficialgazette.gov.la).

What Laos does not have

• No online land register; the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment site (monre.gov.la) showed a hosting suspension page on 2026-10-13.
• No public procurement portal could be reached; egp.mof.gov.la did not resolve on 2026-10-13.
• No freedom of information law, information commissioner, charity register, lobbying register or published asset declarations.
• No official online database of court judgments.

Also: World Bank country data · IMF country page · UN Sustainable Development Goals country profile · IPU Parline parliament profile.

Laos by subject

• Economy GDP, growth, trade and investment
• Jobs and pay unemployment, jobs and work
• Cost of living inflation, poverty and inequality
• Public finances debt, deficit, tax and spending
• Health and care life expectancy, doctors and spending
• Housing homes, cities, water and power
• Immigration migrants, refugees and remittances
• Education schools, universities and literacy
• Environment emissions, air, forests and water

Common questions

What is the population of Laos?

7.9 million (2025, World Bank). National figures: Lao Statistics Bureau.

What is the inflation rate in Laos?

7.7% (2025, World Bank). Official index: Lao Statistics Bureau.

What is Laos's GDP?

$18.3 billion (2025, World Bank).

How much government debt does Laos have?

88.8% of GDP (2025, International Monetary Fund).

Who publishes official statistics in Laos?

Lao Statistics Bureau (ສູນສະຖິຕິແຫ່ງຊາດ): https://www.lsb.gov.la/

What is the central bank of Laos?

Bank of the Lao PDR (ທະນາຄານແຫ່ງ ສປປ ລາວ): https://www.bol.gov.la/

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