01
Physical geography
Mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus.
Local timeVientiane ·
Asia / South-Eastern Asia · Card 023
Laos
Laos is a country in South-Eastern Asia. Its capital is Vientiane.
Find Laos
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Vientiane
- Languages
- Lao
- Currency
- Lao kip (LAK)
- Population
- 7.9 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 236,800 km²91,429 square miles
- Independence
- 1953from France
Laos in context
Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Vientiane; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Lao.
03
Location
Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam.
Flag
Three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double-width), and red, with a large white disk centered in the blue band
History & independence
Laos became part of French Indochina and achieved full independence in 1953. Civil war continued amid wider regional conflict. The Pathet Lao took power in 1975, ending the monarchy and establishing the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
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Full independence from France
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Lao People’s Democratic Republic established
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Laos joins ASEAN
Economy
Main activities
Hydropower, mining, agriculture, manufacturing and tourism are important. Regional electricity exports and transport connections support activity, while debt pressures constrain public finances.
Industry and production
mining (copper, tin, gold, gypsum); timber, electric power, agricultural processing, rubber, construction, garments, cement, tourism
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people7.92025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2,669,702 | 2.670 |
| 1980 | 3,292,573 | 3.293 |
| 1990 | 4,311,955 | 4.312 |
| 2000 | 5,431,212 | 5.431 |
| 2010 | 6,334,194 | 6.334 |
| 2020 | 7,346,533 | 7.347 |
| 2025 | 7,873,046 | 7.873 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars22.12025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2,736,044,527 | 2.736 |
| 1991 | 2,853,600,421 | 2.854 |
| 1992 | 3,012,256,546 | 3.012 |
| 1993 | 3,190,357,918 | 3.190 |
| 1994 | 3,450,659,812 | 3.451 |
| 1995 | 3,693,284,479 | 3.693 |
| 1996 | 3,949,167,184 | 3.949 |
| 1997 | 4,220,557,557 | 4.221 |
| 1998 | 4,388,012,740 | 4.388 |
| 1999 | 4,708,617,453 | 4.709 |
| 2000 | 4,981,659,930 | 4.982 |
| 2001 | 5,268,175,761 | 5.268 |
| 2002 | 5,579,985,581 | 5.580 |
| 2003 | 5,918,523,435 | 5.919 |
| 2004 | 6,294,805,132 | 6.295 |
| 2005 | 6,742,212,710 | 6.742 |
| 2006 | 7,323,341,972 | 7.323 |
| 2007 | 7,879,683,724 | 7.880 |
| 2008 | 8,496,261,313 | 8.496 |
| 2009 | 9,133,631,713 | 9.134 |
| 2010 | 9,912,447,860 | 9.912 |
| 2011 | 10,709,275,115 | 10.709 |
| 2012 | 11,568,812,077 | 11.569 |
| 2013 | 12,497,359,667 | 12.497 |
| 2014 | 13,448,654,116 | 13.449 |
| 2015 | 14,426,380,126 | 14.426 |
| 2016 | 15,439,521,179 | 15.440 |
| 2017 | 16,503,694,943 | 16.504 |
| 2018 | 17,534,839,203 | 17.535 |
| 2019 | 18,491,844,276 | 18.492 |
| 2020 | 18,584,864,138 | 18.585 |
| 2021 | 19,054,754,737 | 19.055 |
| 2022 | 19,570,648,222 | 19.571 |
| 2023 | 20,303,702,352 | 20.304 |
| 2024 | 21,142,284,373 | 21.142 |
| 2025 | 22,101,637,863 | 22.102 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.617Medium human developmentRank 147 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.409
20000.473
20100.556
20200.616
20230.617
69.0 yearsLife expectancy at birth
6.1 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
One-party socialist republic led by the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party. A president is head of state, a prime minister leads the government, and the National Assembly is the national legislature.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Laos.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which city is identified as the capital of Laos?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.