Laos is a mountainous, landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It shares borders with China and Myanmar to the north, Cambodia to the south, Vietnam to the east, and Thailand to the west. The country is largely mountainous and densely forested, with the Mekong River forming a significant portion of its western boundary with Thailand.
38.6%
Urban population (2023)
61.4%
Rural population (2023)
50.4%
Male (2023)
49.6%
Female (2023)
8%
Baby boomer (2022)
15%
Gen X (2022)
25%
Gen Y (2023)
31%
Gen Z (2023)
59.6%
Participation rate (2023)
97.6%
Employment rate (2022)
82.4%
Labour force at SMEs (2018)
5.1%
High-skilled labour ratio (2017)
US$ 177
Monthly average household income (2023)
3.5% - 6%
Turnover rate/month (2022)
69.6%%
Employment in Agriculture (2022)
7.2%
Employment in Industry (2022)
23.3%
Employment in Services (2022)
Economic profile
Laos ranks as the
-largest economy in the world
US$ 15.2B
GDP (2023)
US$ 2000
GDP per capita (2023)
US$ 1B
Digital economy revenue (2023)
US$ 142.1M
IT services market revenue (2024P)
99.8%
Percentage of SMEs (2020)
US$ 53.9M
Total capital raised in the VC market (2024P)
A growing economy in Southeast Asia
Export turnovers
Laos's export turnovers reached US$ 8.37 billion by 2023
Enterprise registration
In 2022, there were 18,076 enterprise registration in Laos
GDP, by industry
Agricultural cropping contributed the most to Laos's GDP in 2022
US$ 8.37B
Export turnovers (2023)
Top exports
Electrical energy
28.6%
Gold
8.4%
Paper and articles thereof
5.6%
Copper ores
5.1%
Potassium chloride
4.8%
Iron ores
4.9%
Top countries
Thailand
34.5%
China
29.9%
Vietnam
16.6%
Australia
4.6%
Cambodia
2.4%
United States of America
1.4%
18,076
Enterprise registration (2022)
Top industries
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles
51.8%
Transportation and storage
9.17%
Accommodation and food service activities
8.2%
Manufacturing
7.1%
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
4.2%
US$ 15.1B
GDP, by industry (2022)
Top industries
Agricultural cropping
11.8%
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles
11.5%
Electricity
11.4%
Taxes on products and import duties, net
11.1%
Construction
9.4%
Doing business in Laos
Opportunities & challenges
Opportunities
• Diversification of the economy
• Foreign investment in the commodities and energy sectors
• Abundant natural resources, agricultural commodities, & forestry
• Expansion of the hydroelectric sector
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