LA
Prices & public finance · East Asia & Pacific · Lower-middle income
Laos: prices, money and public finance
Inflation is 7.7% (2025), 32nd of 180 in the world and 2nd of 27 in East Asia & Pacific. GDP deflator is 7.5% (2025), 36th of 209 in the world and 3rd of 36 in East Asia & Pacific. Lending rate is 22.6% (2010).
Inflation
LaosEast Asia & PacificLower-middle incomeWorld
GDP deflator
LaosEast Asia & PacificLower-middle incomeWorld
13 indicators
Prices & public finance: 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.
| Indicator | Latest | World rank | In region | ~2000 | ~2010 | ~2020 | 10-year change | Region | Income group | World | Since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| InflationInflation, consumer prices, annual % | 7.7%2025 | 32/180 | 2/27 | 25.1% | 6.0% | 5.1% | +6.5 ppsince 2015 | 2.0% | 3.6% | 3.0% | |
| GDP deflatorInflation, GDP deflator, annual % | 7.5%2025 | 36/209 | 3/36 | 24.8% | 9.2% | 5.0% | +5.2 ppsince 2015 | 2.5% | 5.0% | 3.3% | |
| Lending rateLending interest rate, % | 22.6%2010 | — | — | 32.0% | 22.6% | · | −9.4 ppsince 2000 | — | — | — | |
| Real interest rateReal interest rate, % | 12.3%2010 | — | — | 5.8% | 12.3% | · | +6.5 ppsince 2000 | — | — | — | |
| Exchange rateOfficial exchange rate, local currency per US$ | 20,444.142025 | 4/210 | 2/36 | 7,887.64 | 8,254.16 | 9,045.79 | +152%since 2015 | — | — | — | |
| Tax revenueTax revenue, % of GDP | 12.1%2022 | 108/142 | 22/25 | · | 13.0% | 9.4% | −1.5 ppsince 2012 | 10.8% | 12.1% | 13.9% | |
| Government revenueGovernment revenue excluding grants, % of GDP | 13.9%2022 | 125/142 | 24/25 | · | 14.5% | 11.2% | −1.3 ppsince 2012 | 17.6% | 14.2% | 24.0% | |
| Government expenseGovernment expense, % of GDP | 10.3%2022 | 137/142 | 25/25 | · | 11.0% | 11.4% | −0.7 ppsince 2012 | — | 15.7% | 28.5% | |
| External debtExternal debt stocks, % of GNI | 115.4%2024 | 7/119 | 2/16 | 152.4% | 95.0% | 114.5% | +41.1 ppsince 2014 | — | 30.1% | — | |
| Private creditDomestic credit to private sector, % of GDP | 20.9%2010 | — | — | 8.9% | 20.9% | · | +12.0 ppsince 2000 | 175.5% | 38.7% | 140.3% | |
| Broad moneyBroad money, % of GDP | 36.2%2010 | — | — | 16.5% | 36.2% | · | +19.6 ppsince 2000 | 211.5% | 67.4% | 135.7% | |
| Reserves, months of importsTotal reserves in months of imports | 3.42025 | 108/165 | 22/24 | 2.7 | 5.9 | 3.2 | +90%since 2015 | 11.1 | 7.7 | 8.6 | |
| Military spendingMilitary expenditure, % of GDP | 0.19%2013 | — | — | 0.79% | 0.20% | · | −0.3 ppsince 2003 | 1.72% | 1.92% | 2.48% |
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
- Reserves, months of imports+90%3.4 in 2025
Worse than ten years ago
- Inflation+6.5 pp7.7% in 2025
- External debt+41.1 pp115.4% in 2024
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.
| Indicator | Laos | China | Vietnam | Thailand | Myanmar | Cambodia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflation | 7.7%2025 | 0.1%2025 | 3.3%2025 | -0.1%2025 | 8.8%2019 | 2.4%2025 |
| GDP deflator | 7.5%2025 | -0.9%2025 | 3.3%2025 | -0.9%2025 | 12.5%2025 | 3.5%2025 |
| Lending rate | 22.6%2010 | 4.3%2024 | 9.3%2023 | 5.0%2025 | 14.8%2020 | — |
| Real interest rate | 12.3%2010 | 5.2%2024 | 7.0%2023 | 5.9%2025 | 9.0%2020 | — |
| Exchange rate | 20,444.142025 | 7.192025 | 24,164.892024 | 32.882025 | 1,381.622020 | 4,013.432025 |
| Tax revenue | 12.1%2022 | 7.0%2024 | — | 15.2%2024 | 6.0%2019 | 12.2%2023 |
| Government revenue | 13.9%2022 | 14.9%2024 | — | 20.2%2024 | 14.4%2019 | 13.8%2023 |
| Government expense | 10.3%2022 | — | — | 20.7%2023 | 13.8%2019 | 12.9%2023 |
| External debt | 115.4%2024 | 13.0%2024 | 28.8%2024 | 37.5%2024 | 15.3%2024 | 46.1%2024 |