Country profile
Laos
East Asia & Pacific · Lower-middle income · Capital: Vientiane
Key figures, 2024
FDI inflows 2024
$989 m
Inflows % of GDP
6.0%
FDI outflows
$0 k
Net FDI
—
FDI % of investment
—
In 2024, Laos recorded FDI net inflows of $989 m, down 45% from $1.8 bn in 2023. That is 7% below its 2019–2023 average of $1.1 bn. By value, that ranks 101st of 195 economies with data for 2024. Inflows peaked at $1.8 bn in 2023 (data begin in 1970). Inflows were equivalent to 6.0% of GDP in 2024 — above the East Asia & Pacific aggregate (1.6%) and above the world as a whole (1.4%).
About this summary
Generated automatically from World Bank data. Figures are balance-of-payments net flows in current US$; 2024 is the latest year with broad coverage across economies.Trends
FDI flows over time
Net flows, current US$ (balance-of-payments basis)
- Inflows
- Outflows
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0). Indicators BX.KLT.DINV.CD.WD and BM.KLT.DINV.CD.WD.
Laos compared with its region and the world
- Laos
- East Asia & Pacific (aggregate)
- World
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0). Indicator BX.KLT.DINV.WD.GD.ZS.
FDI vs remittances, aid and portfolio equity, current US$
- FDI inflows
- Remittances
- Aid (ODA)
- Portfolio equity
FDI is only one of the ways foreign money reaches an economy. For many developing economies, remittances from workers abroad or official aid are larger and more stable; portfolio equity is typically the most volatile.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0). Indicators BX.KLT.DINV.CD.WD, BX.TRF.PWKR.CD.DT, DT.ODA.ODAT.CD, BX.PEF.TOTL.CD.WD.
Economy at a glance
The economy behind the investment
The macroeconomic, trade and workforce indicators investors and trade officials look at alongside FDI — latest year, 15-year trend and regional and world benchmarks.
| IMF World Economic Outlook | 2024 | 2025 | 2026forecast | 2027forecast | 2028forecast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real GDP growth | 4.3% | 4.8% | 4.0% | 4.0% | 3.5% |
| Inflation | 23.1% | 7.7% | 9.6% | 8.5% | 8.0% |
| Current account, % GDP | 4.3% | 11.4% | 0.2% | 0.9% | 1.4% |
| Fiscal balance, % GDP | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.4% | 1.8% | 1.7% |
| Government gross debt, % GDP | 94.7% | 80.6% | 74.6% | 68.6% | 63.1% |
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook via the IMF DataMapper API. Years from 2026 are IMF projections; recent years may be estimates and are revised in each WEO round (April and October).
Size & growth
GDP
$18.3 bn2025
134th of 186
GDP per capita
$2,3252025
150th of 186Region $14,077World $14,406
GNI per capita (PPP)
$9,8002025
126th of 181Region $29,315World $25,517
Population
7.9 m2025
102nd of 217
Population growth
1.3%2025
78th of 217Region 0.1%World 0.9%
Trade & structure
Exports of goods & services
$5.3 bn2016
114th of 184
Imports of goods & services
$6.7 bn2016
117th of 184
Trade openness (% of GDP)
75.1%2016
91st of 184Region 52.2%World 53.8%
Manufacturing, % of GDP
9.1%2025
85th of 132Region 22.3%World 14.9%
Services, % of GDP
43.6%2025
134th of 158Region 59.8%World 63.3%
High-tech exports, % of manufactured exports
7.4%2023
73rd of 160Region 33.7%World 23.0%
Workforce & innovation
Labour force
3.6 m2025
96th of 182
R&D expenditure, % of GDP
0.0%2002
90th of 94Region 2.2%World 2.0%
Internet users, % of population
65.6%2024
128th of 182Region 86.6%World 71.2%
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Latest available year shown for each indicator; ranks are among economies reporting that year (highest = 1st). Region = World Bank regional aggregate. Growth, inflation, unemployment, the current account and government debt are shown in the IMF table above where the IMF covers the economy.
Who invests
Source and destination economies
Direct investment positions (stocks) by immediate counterpart economy, as reported to the OECD.
No bilateral positions for this economy
Structure & policy
Sectors and FDI openness
Inward FDI positions by sector
No sector breakdown
FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness
IndexNot covered by the index
Peers
Similar-sized economies in East Asia & Pacific
The six economies in the same World Bank region with the closest GDP, ranked by FDI inflows as a share of GDP (2024).
- 🇲🇳Mongolia11.7%
- 🇰🇭Cambodia9.5%
- 🇳🇨New Caledonia8.5%
- 🇱🇦Laos6.0%
- 🇧🇳Brunei0.2%
- 🇵🇬Papua New Guinea−0.6%
Sources & notes
World Bank, World Development Indicators
- FDI net inflows —
BX.KLT.DINV.CD.WD - FDI net outflows —
BM.KLT.DINV.CD.WD - FDI net inflows, % of GDP —
BX.KLT.DINV.WD.GD.ZS - Gross fixed capital formation —
NE.GDI.FTOT.CD - Personal remittances received —
BX.TRF.PWKR.CD.DT - Net official development assistance received —
DT.ODA.ODAT.CD - Portfolio equity net inflows —
BX.PEF.TOTL.CD.WD - Real GDP growth —
NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG - Inflation (annual average) —
FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG - Unemployment rate —
SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS - Current account balance, % of GDP —
BN.CAB.XOKA.GD.ZS - Exports of goods & services —
NE.EXP.GNFS.CD - Central government debt, % of GDP —
GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS
OECD: FDI statistics by partner economy and by industry (Benchmark Definition, 4th edition) and the FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Index.
Flows vs positions. Charts on this page show annual balance-of-payments flows. Bilateral and sector figures are positions (accumulated stocks) and are not directly comparable.
Negative values. Net flows can be negative when foreign investors withdraw capital or intra-company loans are repaid faster than new investment arrives.
Timing. Headline figures use 2024, the latest year with broad coverage across economies; charts also show any newer early estimates. Rankings cover economies only, not aggregates.
Counterparts. Bilateral data record the immediate counterpart, so financial centres and conduit economies can appear larger than the ultimate investors behind them.