GDP per employed person in Laos
Laos: GDP per employed person was 19,366 constant 2021 PPP $ in 2025. ▲ Rising
GDP per employed person in Laos, 1991–2025
Source: World Bank, International Labour Organization (ILO), UN Population Division, Eurostat, and OECD (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2021 PPP $.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gdp per employed person in Laos is 19,366 constant 2021 PPP $, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 2.5% on the previous year and up 13.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gdp per employed person in Laos peaked at 19,563 constant 2021 PPP $ in 2019 and was at its lowest, 5,952 constant 2021 PPP $, in 1991.
That places Laos 133rd out of 177 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
GDP per employed person in Laos, year by year
| Year | constant 2021 PPP $ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 5,952 constant 2021 PPP $ | — |
| 1992 | 6,131 constant 2021 PPP $ | +3.0% |
| 1993 | 6,331 constant 2021 PPP $ | +3.3% |
| 1994 | 6,677 constant 2021 PPP $ | +5.5% |
| 1995 | 6,977 constant 2021 PPP $ | +4.5% |
| 1996 | 7,277 constant 2021 PPP $ | +4.3% |
| 1997 | 7,608 constant 2021 PPP $ | +4.5% |
| 1998 | 7,749 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 8,148 constant 2021 PPP $ | +5.1% |
| 2000 | 8,439 constant 2021 PPP $ | +3.6% |
| 2001 | 8,722 constant 2021 PPP $ | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 9,028 constant 2021 PPP $ | +3.5% |
| 2003 | 9,355 constant 2021 PPP $ | +3.6% |
| 2004 | 9,724 constant 2021 PPP $ | +3.9% |
| 2005 | 10,156 constant 2021 PPP $ | +4.4% |
| 2006 | 10,706 constant 2021 PPP $ | +5.4% |
| 2007 | 11,156 constant 2021 PPP $ | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 11,668 constant 2021 PPP $ | +4.6% |
| 2009 | 12,190 constant 2021 PPP $ | +4.5% |
| 2010 | 12,885 constant 2021 PPP $ | +5.7% |
| 2011 | 13,632 constant 2021 PPP $ | +5.8% |
| 2012 | 14,439 constant 2021 PPP $ | +5.9% |
| 2013 | 15,314 constant 2021 PPP $ | +6.1% |
| 2014 | 16,189 constant 2021 PPP $ | +5.7% |
| 2015 | 17,072 constant 2021 PPP $ | +5.5% |
| 2016 | 18,039 constant 2021 PPP $ | +5.7% |
| 2017 | 19,048 constant 2021 PPP $ | +5.6% |
| 2018 | 19,370 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 19,563 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 19,030 constant 2021 PPP $ | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 18,581 constant 2021 PPP $ | -2.4% |
| 2022 | 18,167 constant 2021 PPP $ | -2.2% |
| 2023 | 18,489 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 18,893 constant 2021 PPP $ | +2.2% |
| 2025 | 19,366 constant 2021 PPP $ | +2.5% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 19,366 constant 2021 PPP $ is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 17,977 constant 2021 PPP $, 1.1× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Laos's 19,366 constant 2021 PPP $ is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 35,266 constant 2021 PPP $, 55% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6,983 constant 2021 PPP $ | 5,952 constant 2021 PPP $ | 8,148 constant 2021 PPP $ | 9 |
| 2000s | 10,115 constant 2021 PPP $ | 8,439 constant 2021 PPP $ | 12,190 constant 2021 PPP $ | 10 |
| 2010s | 16,555 constant 2021 PPP $ | 12,885 constant 2021 PPP $ | 19,563 constant 2021 PPP $ | 10 |
| 2020s | 18,754 constant 2021 PPP $ | 18,167 constant 2021 PPP $ | 19,366 constant 2021 PPP $ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Laos
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 gdp per employed person in Laos?
- Gdp per employed person in Laos was 19,366 constant 2021 PPP $ in 2025, according to World Bank, International Labour Organization (ILO), UN Population Division, Eurostat, and OECD (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gdp per employed person recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 19,563 constant 2021 PPP $ in 2019.
- What is the lowest gdp per employed person recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 5,952 constant 2021 PPP $ in 1991.
- How does Laos rank for gdp per employed person?
- Laos ranks 133rd out of 177 countries with data for 2025.
- Is gdp per employed person rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, International Labour Organization (ILO), UN Population Division, Eurostat, and OECD (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of GDP per employed person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Gross domestic product (GDP) divided by the total number of people employed in the economy. This data is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.