Government and power in Laos
Who leads Laos, how the World Bank's governance indicators score it, how many women sit in parliament and government, what the state spends and taxes, and the official bodies that hold power to account. System of government: Unitary one-party socialist republic.
Who leads 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: Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers for Foreign Affairs: Public List (United Nations Protocol and Liaison Service), list dated 15 October 2026. All world leaders.
Governance scores
The World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators combine surveys of households and firms with assessments by public, private and non-governmental bodies. Each score runs from 0 to 100; higher means the sources rate governance better. They measure perceptions, and each has a margin of error.
- Voice and accountability
- Measures how far citizens can choose their government, and freedom of expression, association and the media.
- Political stability and absence of violence
- Measures the likelihood of political instability or politically motivated violence, including terrorism.
- Government effectiveness
- Measures the quality of public services and the civil service, and how independent they are from political pressure.
- Regulatory quality
- Measures the government's ability to make and carry out policies that let the private sector develop.
- Rule of law
- Measures confidence in and respect for the rules of society, including contract enforcement, property rights, the police and the courts.
- Control of corruption
- Measures how far public power is used for private gain, including petty and grand corruption and "capture" of the state by elites.
How does Laos score on voice and accountability?
Voice and accountability: 27.5 out of 100 in 2025, 177th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 65.7). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 28.2.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Laos score on political stability?
Political stability and absence of violence: 75.3 out of 100 in 2025, 65th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 81.7). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 71.9.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Laos score on government effectiveness?
Government effectiveness: 40.2 out of 100 in 2025, 137th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 54.5). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 44.9.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Laos score on regulatory quality?
Regulatory quality: 44.1 out of 100 in 2025, 138th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 53.6). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 42.6.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Laos score on the rule of law?
Rule of law: 48.1 out of 100 in 2025, 129th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 65.5). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 46.6.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Laos score on control of corruption?
Control of corruption: 28 out of 100 in 2025, 155th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 54). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 27.9.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many women are in Laos's parliament?
Women held 22.0% of seats in the national parliament (single or lower chamber) in 2025, 110th highest of 184 countries with data. Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union, via the World Bank.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many of Laos's ministers are women?
Women held 15.4% of ministerial posts in 2025, 123rd highest of 190.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow much does the government of Laos spend?
Central government spending (expense) was 10.3% of GDP in 2022.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow much tax does the government of Laos collect?
Central government tax revenue was 12.1% of GDP in 2022, 91st highest of 117.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow big are the armed forces of Laos?
Armed forces personnel numbered 129,000 in 2020.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow good are Laos's official statistics?
The World Bank's Statistical Performance Indicator, which scores how well a country's official statistics system works, was 60.8 out of 100 in 2024, 130th highest of 187.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many births are registered in Laos?
73.0% of births of children under 5 were registered with a civil authority (2017).
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many people in Laos use the internet?
65.6% of people used the internet in 2024.
Source: World Bank · saved copyOfficial bodies that hold power in Laos
Government
- Ministry of FinanceState budget documents, public debt reports and fiscal regulations.
Parliament
- National AssemblyLaws adopted, session records and members of the National Assembly.
Public audit
- State Audit OrganizationAudit reports and plans on state budget execution and public entities.
Government below the national level
- Provinces (17) and Vientiane Capital: Provincial administrative committee with a chairperson (formerly the governor, who was nominated by the President); provincial People's Assembly elected with the National Assembly
- Districts (148 in 2021): District administrative committee (formerly district chiefs nominated by the Prime Minister on the governor's advice)
- Sub-districts (taseng), new from 2025; 379 of 621 planned set up by mid-2026: Appointed administrative committee (chairperson, vice-chairs, members); staff transferred from districts, security forces and villages
- Villages (ban, about 8,500): Village heads (nai ban); some directly elected by villagers since 2011 under the old system
Places in Laos
Sources
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Voice and accountability (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 70f2804fd1e2…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Political stability and absence of violence (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1317de0c85e1…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Government effectiveness (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a775e808dc65…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Regulatory quality (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 83b57e36ff8c…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Rule of law (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0bccc3c054e8…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Control of corruption (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3b15a5340cdd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Seats held by women in national parliament (SG.GEN.PARL.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1ae1dc13981a…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Women in ministerial positions (SG.GEN.MNST.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a4e448a5b8bd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Central government spending (GC.XPN.TOTL.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 808094019f50…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Tax revenue (GC.TAX.TOTL.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 08c94b750f31…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Armed forces personnel (MS.MIL.TOTL.P1), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fa4663c743ba…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Statistical Performance Indicator (overall score) (IQ.SPI.OVRL), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 08ac7cde9129…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Births registered (SP.REG.BRTH.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f8d443034ba7…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: People using the internet (IT.NET.USER.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0d78dc658329…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.