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Environment · East Asia & Pacific · Lower-middle income

Laos: environment and emissions

CO₂ per person is 3.35 t (2024), 89th of 203 in the world and 16th of 37 in East Asia & Pacific. GHG per person is 5.35 t (2024), 80th of 203 in the world and 15th of 37 in East Asia & Pacific. GHG emissions is 41.5 Mt (2024), 88th of 203 in the world and 16th of 37 in East Asia & Pacific.

CO₂ per person3.35 t2024 · world 89/203 · region 16/37GHG per person5.35 t2024 · world 80/203 · region 15/37GHG emissions41.5 Mt2024 · world 88/203 · region 16/37CO₂ emissions26.1 Mt2024 · world 79/203 · region 16/37
CO₂ per person
LaosEast Asia & PacificLower-middle incomeWorld
0.02.04.06.08.0199520002005201020152020Laos3.35 tEast Asia & PacificLower-middle incomeWorld
GHG per person
LaosEast Asia & PacificLower-middle incomeWorld
0.02.55.07.510199520002005201020152020Laos5.35 tEast Asia & PacificLower-middle incomeWorld
15 indicators

Environment: Laos in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within East Asia & Pacific; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
CO₂ per personCO₂ emissions per capita, tonnes3.35 t202489/20316/370.17 t0.47 t2.65 t+412%since 20147.35 t1.60 t4.69 t
GHG per personGreenhouse gas emissions per person, t CO₂e5.35 t202480/20315/371.64 t2.18 t4.56 t+119%since 20149.06 t2.58 t6.36 t
GHG emissionsTotal greenhouse gas emissions excl. land use, Mt CO₂e41.5 Mt202488/20316/378.9 Mt13.8 Mt33.5 Mt+154%since 201421,426.8 Mt7,482.1 Mt53,206.4 Mt
CO₂ emissionsCO₂ emissions, total excl. land use, Mt26.1 Mt202479/20316/370.9 Mt3.0 Mt19.4 Mt+494%since 201417,388.8 Mt4,634.0 Mt39,632.7 Mt
MethaneMethane emissions, Mt CO₂e12.3 Mt202489/20315/376.6 Mt8.8 Mt11.2 Mt+26%since 20142,697.1 Mt2,116.0 Mt9,536.5 Mt
Renewable energyRenewable energy, % of final energy consumption49.2%202250/2125/3781.5%64.8%50.6%−13.2 ppsince 201214.8%43.3%19.7%
Renewable powerRenewable electricity, % of output63.3%202149/2062/3599.7%200197.8%201266.1%−33.2 ppsince 200225.9%24.8%27.8%
PM2.5 exposurePM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure, µg/m³26.0 µg/m³202361/2004/3337.7 µg/m³31.3 µg/m³28.1 µg/m³−8.9%since 201327.3 µg/m³49.6 µg/m³32.9 µg/m³
Forest coverForest area, % of land area56.6%202441/21415/3560.9%59.2%57.2%−1.5 ppsince 201427.3%30.2%31.1%
FarmlandAgricultural land, % of land area9.5%2024179/21027/367.8%9.5%9.6%−0.8 ppsince 201446.8%43.0%36.9%
Arable landArable land, % of land area5.3%2024134/20614/344.0%6.0%5.3%−1.2 ppsince 20148.7%18.3%10.7%
Protected areasTerrestrial and marine protected areas, % of territory18.8%202564/21310/36··18.7%+2.1 ppsince 201522.0%12.4%17.0%
Water withdrawalsFreshwater withdrawals, % of internal resources3.9%2022115/17711/20·3.0%3.9%+0.4 ppsince 201212.1%16.3%9.0%
Freshwater per personRenewable internal freshwater per person, m³25,188 m³202225/1836/2335,057 m³30,059 m³25,917 m³−14%since 20124,306 m³2,496 m³5,393 m³
Cereal yieldCereal yield, kg per hectare4,196 kg/ha202459/1799/243,018 kg/ha3,832 kg/ha3,993 kg/ha−6.9%since 20145,430 kg/ha3,366 kg/ha4,229 kg/ha
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

Worse than ten years ago

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

Laos and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with Laos. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorLaosChinaVietnamThailandMyanmarCambodia
CO₂ per person3.35 t20249.32 t20244.27 t20243.96 t20240.58 t20241.10 t2024
GHG per person5.35 t202411.03 t20245.79 t20245.89 t20242.16 t20242.83 t2024
GHG emissions41.5 Mt202415,536.1 Mt2024584.3 Mt2024422.4 Mt2024117.8 Mt202449.8 Mt2024
CO₂ emissions26.1 Mt202413,124.7 Mt2024430.8 Mt2024283.8 Mt202431.4 Mt202419.4 Mt2024
Methane12.3 Mt20241,485.3 Mt2024116.5 Mt202481.1 Mt202472.7 Mt202426.7 Mt2024
Renewable energy49.2%202215.2%202124.2%202119.0%202162.9%202152.4%2021
Renewable power63.3%202128.4%202141.2%202119.9%202150.8%202156.4%2021
PM2.5 exposure26.0 µg/m³202332.0 µg/m³202324.8 µg/m³202323.5 µg/m³202335.1 µg/m³202319.4 µg/m³2023
Forest cover56.6%202424.0%202447.1%202438.7%202442.0%202437.6%2024
China: environmentVietnam: environmentThailand: environmentMyanmar: environmentCambodia: environment
Environment in East Asia & Pacificall 37 economies rankedEnvironment: lower-middle-income countries47 economies rankedEnvironment: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesLaos: all key statisticscountry profile