Laos Travel Podcast with Noy Vongsa

Location

Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam

Terrain

Mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus

Climate

Tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)

Elevation

Highest point

Phu Bia 2,817 m

Lowest point

Mekong River 70 m

Mean elevation

710 m

Area

Total

236,800 sq km

Land

230,800 sq km

Water

6,000 sq km

Size comparison

About twice the size of Pennsylvania; slightly larger than Utah

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Land borders

Total

5,274 km

Border countries

Burma 238 km; Cambodia 555 km; China 475 km; Thailand 1,845 km; Vietnam 2,161 km

Natural resources

Timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones

Land use

Agricultural land

9.9% (2023 est.)

Arable land

5.3% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops

1.7% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture

2.9% (2023 est.)

Forest

56.8% (2023 est.)

Other

33.3% (2023 est.)

Natural hazards

Floods, droughts

Note

Landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand

Population

Total

7,953,556 (2024 est.)

Male

3,966,320

Female

3,987,236

Nationality

Noun

Lao(s) or Laotian(s)

Adjective

Lao or Laotian

Ethnic groups

Lao 53.2%, Khmou 11%, Hmong 9.2%, Phouthay 3.4%, Tai 3.1%, Makong 2.5%, Katong 2.2%, Lue 2%, Akha 1.8%, other 11.6% (2015 est.)

Languages

Languages

Lao (official), French, English, various ethnic languages

Major-language sample(s)

ແຫລ່ງທີ່ຂາດບໍ່ໄດ້ສຳລັບຂໍ້ມູນຕົ້ນຕໍ່” (Lao)

Religions

Buddhist 64.7%, Christian 1.7%, none 31.4%, other/not stated 2.1% (2015 est.)

Median age

Total

25.8 years (2025 est.)

Male

25 years

Female

25.7 years

Life expectancy

Total population

69 years (2024 est.)

Male

67.4 years

Female

70.7 years

Urbanisation

Urban population

38.2% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization

2.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Where people live

Most densely populated area is in and around the capital city of Vientiane; large communities are primarily found along the Mekong River along the southwestern border; overall density is considered one of the lowest in Southeast Asia

Largest cities

721,000 VIENTIANE (capital) (2023)

Background

Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th century under King FA NGUM. For 300 years, Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century, when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. Following more than 15 years of civil war, the communist Pathet Lao took control of the government in 1975, ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a one party--the Lao People's Revolutionary Party--communist state. A gradual, limited return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in the late 1980s. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997 and the WTO in 2013.

In the 2010s, the country benefited from direct foreign investment, particularly in the natural resource and industry sectors. Construction of a number of large hydropower dams and expanding mining activities have also boosted the economy. Laos has retained its official commitment to communism and maintains close ties with its two communist neighbors, Vietnam and China, both of which continue to exert substantial political and economic influence on the country. China, for example, provided 70% of the funding for a $5.9 billion, 400-km railway line between the Chinese border and the capital Vientiane, which opened for operations in 2021. Laos financed the remaining 30% with loans from China. At the same time, Laos has expanded its economic reliance on the West and other Asian countries, such as Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. Nevertheless, despite steady economic growth for more than a decade, it remains one of Asia's poorest countries.

Government

Communist party-led state

Capital

Vientiane (Viangchan)

Time zone

UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Local name

Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao

Independence

19 July 1949 (from France); 22 October 1953 (Franco-Lao Treaty recognizes full independence)

National day

Republic Day (National Day), 2 December (1975)

Overview

Lower middle-income, industrial Southeast Asian economy; high inflation due to 2022 currency depreciation brought on by persistently high debt; new Laos-China railway and dry port; rising inequities; ongoing labor shortages

GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

$8,600 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$8,400 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$8,200 (2022 est.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

23.1% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

31.2% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

23% (2022 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024

1.3% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

1.2% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

1.3% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

Currency

Kips (LAK) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2023

17,688.874 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

14,035.227 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

9,697.916 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

9,045.788 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

8,679.409 (2019 est.)

Main industries

Mining (copper, tin, gold, gypsum); timber, electric power, agricultural processing, rubber, construction, garments, cement, tourism

Agriculture

Cassava, root vegetables, rice, sugarcane, vegetables, bananas, maize, rubber, coffee, watermelons (2023)

Airports

20 (2025)

Railways

Total

422 km (2023)

Standard gauge

422 km (2023) 1.435-m gauge (422 km overhead electrification)

Internet domain

.la

Internet users

Percent of population 64% (2023 est.)

Mobile subscriptions

Total subscriptions

4.96 million (2023 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

65 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

Unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; water pollution; limited access to potable water

Fresh water

333.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)