Lao PDR: key statistics
East Asia & Pacific · Lower middle income · capital Vientiane
Lao PDR has a GDP of $16.5B and a GDP per capita of $2,124, with a population of about 7.8 million (World Bank, latest available year). Life expectancy is 69.2 years. Among countries with data, Lao PDR ranks #140 of 214 by GDP, #173 of 214 by GDP per capita, #102 of 217 by population. Full indicator table, peer countries and head-to-head comparisons are below.
Source: World Bank Open Data. Data as of June 2026.
Lao PDR at a glance
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (current US$) | $16.5B | 2024 |
| GDP per capita (current US$) | $2,124 | 2024 |
| Population, total | 7,769,819 | 2024 |
| Population growth (annual %) | 1.4% | 2024 |
| GDP growth (annual %) | 4.1% | 2024 |
| Inflation, consumer prices (annual %) | 23.1% | 2024 |
| Unemployment, total (% of labour force, modelled ILO) | 1.2% | 2025 |
| Life expectancy at birth, total (years) | 69.2 | 2024 |
| Individuals using the Internet (% of population) | 65.6% | 2024 |
| Urban population (% of total) | 39.6% | 2024 |
| CO2 emissions per capita (tonnes) | 3.35 | 2024 |
Source: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). Data as of June 2026.
Each value is the most-recent year the World Bank reports for Lao PDR (the year column), so figures are not all from the same year. A dash (—) means no value is reported.
How Lao PDR ranks
- GDP: #140 of 214 ($16.5B)
- GDP per capita: #173 of 214 ($2,124)
- Population: #102 of 217 (7.8 million)
- Life expectancy: #159 of 217 (69.2 years)
Lao PDR vs its peers
The 6 countries in East Asia & Pacific with the closest GDP per capita to Lao PDR:
| Country | GDP per capita | Population | Life expectancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lao PDR (this country) | $2,124 | 7.8 million | 69.2 |
| Kiribati | $2,289 | 134,518 | 66.6 |
| Solomon Islands | $1,934 | 819,198 | 70.7 |
| Cambodia | $2,628 | 17.6 million | 70.8 |
| Myanmar | $1,359 | 54.5 million | 67.1 |
| Timor-Leste | $1,332 | 1.4 million | 67.9 |
| Papua New Guinea | $3,007 | 10.6 million | 66.3 |
See every country in this region on the East Asia & Pacific hub.
Compare Lao PDR head to head
Frequently asked questions
What is the GDP of Lao PDR?
Lao PDR's GDP is $16.5B (2024) in current US dollars (World Bank). GDP per capita is $2,124 (2024). That ranks Lao PDR #140 of 214 economies with reported GDP.
What is the population of Lao PDR?
Lao PDR has a population of about 7.8 million (2024), per World Bank data. It is the #102 most populous of 217 countries.
What region and income group is Lao PDR in?
The World Bank places Lao PDR in the East Asia & Pacific region and classifies it as a lower middle income economy. Its capital is Vientiane.
How long do people live in Lao PDR?
Life expectancy at birth in Lao PDR is 69.2 years (2024, World Bank). That ranks #159 of 217.
Sources & notes
Data: World Bank Open Data, Indicators API (CC BY 4.0), retrieved June 2026. Values are each indicator's most-recent non-empty year for Lao PDR, so the reference year varies by indicator (shown in the table). Figures are nominal (current US$) unless noted; see our methodology. Browse all 217 countries.
Last updated: 2026-06-20