Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Lao People's Democratic Republic
Lao People's Democratic Republic: Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) was 2.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Lao People's Democratic Republic, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Lao People's Democratic Republic is 2.4%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 9.5% on the previous year and down 38.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Lao People's Democratic Republic peaked at 5.8% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 2010.
Lao People's Democratic Republic ranks 180th of 187 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Lao People's Democratic Republic, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 5.2% | — |
| 1992 | 5.6% | +6.8% |
| 1993 | 5.6% | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 5.5% | -2.2% |
| 1995 | 5.5% | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 5.2% | -5.1% |
| 1997 | 5.0% | -3.8% |
| 1998 | 4.8% | -3.2% |
| 1999 | 4.5% | -5.7% |
| 2000 | 4.3% | -5.2% |
| 2001 | 4.0% | -7.6% |
| 2002 | 3.7% | -5.9% |
| 2003 | 3.5% | -7.6% |
| 2004 | 3.2% | -8.5% |
| 2005 | 2.9% | -9.6% |
| 2006 | 2.6% | -10.3% |
| 2007 | 2.3% | -10.2% |
| 2008 | 2.1% | -10.8% |
| 2009 | 1.8% | -11.0% |
| 2010 | 1.6% | -13.9% |
| 2011 | 2.0% | +28.1% |
| 2012 | 2.5% | +22.1% |
| 2013 | 2.9% | +19.0% |
| 2014 | 3.4% | +16.2% |
| 2015 | 3.9% | +14.2% |
| 2016 | 4.8% | +24.0% |
| 2017 | 5.8% | +19.5% |
| 2018 | 5.1% | -11.3% |
| 2019 | 4.5% | -12.8% |
| 2020 | 4.2% | -5.3% |
| 2021 | 3.3% | -21.5% |
| 2022 | 2.2% | -34.3% |
| 2023 | 2.2% | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 2.2% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 2.4% | +9.5% |
Lao People's Democratic Republic compared with similar countries
- Lao People's Democratic Republic's 2.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10.1%, 24% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lao People's Democratic Republic's 2.4% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 9.0%, 27% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.2% | 4.5% | 5.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 3.0% | 1.8% | 4.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.7% | 1.6% | 5.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.7% | 2.2% | 4.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lao People's Democratic Republic
- 177 Benin 2.9% compare
- 178 Guinea-Bissau 2.8% compare
- 179 Solomon Islands 2.8% compare
- 181 Tanzania, United Republic of 2.4% compare
- 182 Liberia 2.3% compare
- 183 Burundi 1.7% compare
More work & labour data for Lao People's Democratic Republic
- 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, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Lao People's Democratic Republic?
- Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Lao People's Democratic Republic was 2.4% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Lao People's Democratic Republic?
- The highest recorded value was 5.8% in 2017.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Lao People's Democratic Republic?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 2010.
- How does Lao People's Democratic Republic rank for unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24)?
- Lao People's Democratic Republic ranks 180th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in Lao People's Democratic Republic?
- Over the last ten years it is down 38.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lao People's Democratic Republic data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment.