Unemployment rate in Laos
Laos: Unemployment rate was 1.19 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
1.19
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
179th
of 186 countries
All-time high
3.27
in 2017
All-time low
0.708
in 2010
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Laos, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Laos recorded 1.19 for unemployment rate in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.1% on the previous year and down 40.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Laos peaked at 3.27 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.708, in 2010.
Laos ranks 179th of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Laos, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.5 | — |
| 1992 | 2.71 | +8.5% |
| 1993 | 2.73 | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 2.63 | -3.6% |
| 1995 | 2.6 | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 2.45 | -5.8% |
| 1997 | 2.35 | -3.9% |
| 1998 | 2.29 | -2.6% |
| 1999 | 2.15 | -6.1% |
| 2000 | 2.04 | -5.1% |
| 2001 | 1.88 | -8.0% |
| 2002 | 1.77 | -5.6% |
| 2003 | 1.64 | -7.7% |
| 2004 | 1.5 | -8.6% |
| 2005 | 1.35 | -9.9% |
| 2006 | 1.2 | -11.2% |
| 2007 | 1.07 | -10.9% |
| 2008 | 0.944 | -11.6% |
| 2009 | 0.835 | -11.5% |
| 2010 | 0.708 | -15.2% |
| 2011 | 0.96 | +35.6% |
| 2012 | 1.21 | +25.8% |
| 2013 | 1.47 | +21.6% |
| 2014 | 1.73 | +18.0% |
| 2015 | 2.01 | +15.8% |
| 2016 | 2.63 | +31.3% |
| 2017 | 3.27 | +24.1% |
| 2018 | 2.9 | -11.4% |
| 2019 | 2.53 | -12.6% |
| 2020 | 2.35 | -7.2% |
| 2021 | 2.08 | -11.5% |
| 2022 | 1.21 | -41.9% |
| 2023 | 1.19 | -1.9% |
| 2024 | 1.17 | -1.0% |
| 2025 | 1.19 | +1.1% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 1.19 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.06, 23% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Laos's 1.19 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.05, 39% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.49 | 2.15 | 2.73 | 9 |
| 2000s | 1.42 | 0.835 | 2.04 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.94 | 0.708 | 3.27 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.53 | 1.17 | 2.35 | 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 unemployment rate in Laos?
- Unemployment rate in Laos was 1.19 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 3.27 in 2017.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.708 in 2010.
- How does Laos rank for unemployment rate?
- Laos ranks 179th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 40.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment 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).