Employment rate in Laos
Laos: Employment rate was 65.3% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
65.3%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
37th
of 186 countries
All-time high
65.3%
in 2025
All-time low
57.8%
in 2017
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Employment rate in Laos, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for employment rate in Laos is 65.3%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 11.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment rate in Laos peaked at 65.3% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 57.8%, in 2017.
Laos ranks 37th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Employment rate in Laos, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 60.9% | — |
| 1992 | 60.7% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 60.6% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 60.6% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 60.5% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 60.6% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 60.5% | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 60.5% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 60.5% | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 60.5% | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 60.5% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 60.5% | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 60.5% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 60.5% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 60.5% | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 60.5% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 60.4% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 60.4% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 60.3% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 60.3% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 60.0% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 59.7% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 59.4% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 59.1% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 58.8% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 58.3% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 57.8% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 59.2% | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 60.6% | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 61.4% | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 63.3% | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 65.2% | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 65.2% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 65.2% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 65.3% | +0.1% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 65.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 54.4%, 1.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Laos's 65.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 61.9%, 1.1× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 60.6% | 60.5% | 60.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 60.5% | 60.3% | 60.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.3% | 57.8% | 60.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 64.3% | 61.4% | 65.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Laos
- 34 East Timor 65.9% compare
- 35 Indonesia 65.8% compare
- 36 Cote d'Ivoire 65.5% compare
- 38 Mali 65.1% compare
- 39 Netherlands 64.6% compare
- 40 Kazakhstan 64.5% compare
More work & labour data for Laos
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 1,934 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 66.2 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 3,788 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 1.25 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.16 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 19,084 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 6,038 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 65.37 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.63 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 1.83 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment rate in Laos?
- Employment rate in Laos was 65.3% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment rate recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 65.3% in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment rate recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 57.8% in 2017.
- How does Laos rank for employment rate?
- Laos ranks 37th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rate rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the working-age population (ages 15 and older) who are employed.