The Tham Ting cave is located about 25 km (16 mi) upriver from Louangphrabang, Laos, and contains thousands of Buddha figures.
Located at a central crossroads in Laos' capital city of Vientiane, Patouxai means "victory gate" in the Lao language. It was built in 1962 to honor Laotians who died in previous wars, so many locals refer to it as Anousavali, meaning "the monument."
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics. That Dam ("the black stupa") is one of the oldest Buddhist monuments in Vientiane, Laos. Legend holds that a seven-headed dragon lives under the stupa and protects the city.
Pha That Luang, the Great Stupa in Vientiane, is considered a national symbol of Laos. It was built in the 16th century on the ruins of a 13th century Khmer temple, which in turn was built on the ruins of a 3rd century Indian temple built by Buddhist missionaries. The stupa is said to contain a relic of the Buddha.
Wat Sisaket is the oldest temple in Vientiane, Laos, and the only one to survive the Thai sacking of the city in 1827. Over 2,000 silver and ceramic Buddha images are housed in the alcoves of the cloister wall.
Wat Xieng Thong is one of the oldest temples in the former royal capital of Louangphrabang, Laos.
Pha That Luang, the Great Stupa in Vientiane, is considered a national symbol of Laos and includes many references to Lao culture in its architecture. It was built in the 16th century on the ruins of a 13th century Khmer temple, which in turn was built on the ruins of a 3rd century Indian temple built by Buddhist missionaries. The gold-covered stupa stands 45 m (148 ft) high and is said to contain a relic of the Buddha.
The Tham Ting cave is located about 25 km (16 mi) upriver from Louangphrabang, Laos, and contains thousands of Buddha figures.
Located at a central crossroads in Laos' capital city of Vientiane, Patouxai means "victory gate" in the Lao language. It was built in 1962 to honor Laotians who died in previous wars, so many locals refer to it as Anousavali, meaning "the monument."
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Laos Factbook Data
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Heather VARIAVA (since 5 February 2024)
embassy: Ban Somvang Tai, Thadeua Road, Km 9, Hatsayfong District, Vientiane
mailing address: 4350 Vientiane Place, Washington DC 20521-4350
65 years and over: 4.8% (2024 est.) (male 178,223/female 205,434)
This is the population pyramid for Laos. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends.
For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page.
Geographic coordinates
18 00 N, 105 00 E
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Natural hazards
floods, droughts
Area - comparative
about twice the size of Pennsylvania; slightly larger than Utah
about twice the size of Pennsylvania; slightly larger than Utah
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; minimum 18-month service obligation (2023)
Background
Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th century under King FA NGUM. For 300 years, Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century, when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. Following more than 15 years of civil war, the communist Pathet Lao took control of the government in 1975, ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a one party--the Lao People's Revolutionary Party--communist state. A gradual, limited return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in the late 1980s. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997 and the WTO in 2013.
In the 2010s, the country benefited from direct foreign investment, particularly in the natural resource and industry sectors. Construction of a number of large hydropower dams and expanding mining activities have also boosted the economy. Laos has retained its official commitment to communism and maintains close ties with its two communist neighbors, Vietnam and China, both of which continue to exert substantial political and economic influence on the country. China, for example, provided 70% of the funding for a $5.9 billion, 400-km railway line between the Chinese border and the capital Vientiane, which opened for operations in 2021. Laos financed the remaining 30% with loans from China. At the same time, Laos has expanded its economic reliance on the West and other Asian countries, such as Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. Nevertheless, despite steady economic growth for more than a decade, it remains one of Asia's poorest countries.
Environment - current issues
unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; water pollution; limited access to potable water
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Military expenditures
0.2% of GDP (2019 est.) 0.2% of GDP (2018 est.) 0.2% of GDP (2017 est.) 0.2% of GDP (2016 est.) 0.2% of GDP (2015 est.)
Population below poverty line
18.3% (2018 est.)
note: % of population with income below national poverty line
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 3% (2018 est.)
highest 10%: 31.2% (2018 est.)
note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Exports - commodities
electricity, fertilizers, gold, garments, paper (2023)
note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Exports - partners
China 39%, Thailand 34%, Australia 4%, USA 4%, Cambodia 2% (2023)
note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Military and security forces
Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF; aka Lao People's Army): Lao People's Army (LPA, includes Riverine Force), Lao People's Air Force (LPAF); Self-Defense Militia Forces (2025)
note: the Ministry of Public Security maintains internal security and is responsible for law enforcement; it oversees local, traffic, immigration, and security police, village police auxiliaries, and other armed police units
Budget
revenues: $2.288 billion (2022 est.)
expenditures: $1.596 billion (2022 est.)
note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Capital
name: Vientiane (Viangchan)
geographic coordinates: 17 58 N, 102 36 E
time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: the name Viangchan means "city of sandalwood" in Laotian; the standard spelling reflects French influence
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, cars, raw sugar, plastic products, trucks (2023)
note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Climate
tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Constitution
history: previous 1947 (pre-independence); latest promulgated 13-15 August 1991
amendment process: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership and promulgation by the president of the republic
chief of state: President THONGLOUN Sisoulith (since 22 March 2021)
head of government: Prime Minister SONEXAY (also spelled SONXAI) Siphandon (since 30 December 2022)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and approved by the National Assembly
election/appointment process: president and vice president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (no term limits); prime minister nominated by the president, elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term
most recent election date: 22 March 2021
election results: 2021: THONGLOUN Sisoulith (LPRP) elected president; National Assembly vote - 161-1; PHANKHAM Viphavanh (LPRP) elected prime minister; National Assembly vote - 158-3
2016: BOUNNHANG Vorachit (LPRP) elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA; THONGLOUN Sisoulith (LPRP) elected prime minister; percent of National Assembly vote - NA
expected date of next election: March 2026
Flag description
three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double-width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band; the red bands stand for the blood shed for liberation, and the blue for the Mekong River and prosperity; the white disk represents the full moon over the Mekong River and the unity of the people under the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, as well as the country's bright future
Illicit drugs
USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country (2025)
Independence
19 July 1949 (from France); 22 October 1953 (Franco-Lao Treaty recognizes full independence)
highest court(s): People's Supreme Court (consists of the court president and organized into criminal, civil, administrative, commercial, family, and juvenile chambers, each with a vice president and several judges)
judge selection and term of office: president of People's Supreme Court appointed by the National Assembly upon the recommendation of the president of the republic for a 5-year term; vice presidents of the People's Supreme Court appointed by the president of the republic upon the recommendation of the National Assembly; appointment of chamber judges NA; tenure of court vice presidents and chamber judges NA
subordinate courts: appellate courts; provincial, municipal, district, and military courts
Land boundaries
total: 5,274 km
border countries (5): Burma 238 km; Cambodia 555 km; China 475 km; Thailand 1,845 km; Vietnam 2,161 km
Land use
agricultural land: 9.8% (2022 est.)
arable land: 5.3% (2022 est.)
permanent crops: 1.5% (2022 est.)
permanent pasture: 2.9% (2022 est.)
forest: 71.6% (2022 est.)
other: 18.6% (2022 est.)
Legal system
civil law system similar in form to the French system
Legislative branch
legislature name: National Assembly (Sapha Heng Xat)
legislative structure: unicameral
number of seats: 164 (all directly elected)
electoral system: plurality/majority
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 2/21/2021
parties elected and seats per party: Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) (158); Other (6)
landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand
Economic overview
lower middle-income, socialist Southeast Asian economy; one of the fastest growing economies; declining but still high poverty; natural resource rich; new anticorruption efforts; already high and growing public debt; service sector hit hard by COVID-19
Political parties
Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP
note: other parties proscribed
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Terrain
mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Government type
communist party-led state
Military - note
the LPAF’s primary missions are border and internal security, including counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, and counter-narcotics operations, as well as protecting the regime; its defense partners include Cambodia, China, Russia, and Vietnam (2025)
Country name
conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic
conventional short form: Laos
local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao
local short form: Mueang Lao (unofficial)
abbreviation: Lao PDR
etymology: name means "Land of the Lao [people];" it derives from the name of the country's founder, Lao
Location
Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
Map references
Southeast Asia
Irrigated land
4,410 sq km (2022)
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Sisavath INPHACHANH (since 7 June 2022)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
Trafficking in persons
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List — the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Laos was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/laos/
Total renewable water resources
333.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 10 years
male: 10 years
female: 10 years (2020)
Urbanization
urban population: 38.2% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 2.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Broadcast media
6 TV stations operating out of Vientiane, with half state-operated and half commercial; 17 provincial stations, with nearly all programming relayed via satellite from the state-operated stations in Vientiane; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems provide access to a wide range of foreign stations; state-controlled radio with state-operated Lao National Radio (LNR) broadcasting on 5 frequencies; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are accessible
note: music adopted 1945, lyrics adopted 1975; the anthem's lyrics were changed following the 1975 Communist revolution that overthrew the monarchy
This is an audio of the National Anthem for Laos. The national anthem is generally a patriotic musical composition - usually in the form of a song or hymn of praise - that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions, or struggles of a nation or its people. National anthems can be officially recognized as a national song by a country's constitution or by an enacted law, or simply by tradition. Although most anthems contain lyrics, some do not.
Major urban areas - population
721,000 VIENTIANE (capital) (2023)
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Physician density
0.33 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Hospital bed density
1.3 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
National symbol(s)
elephant
Contraceptive prevalence rate
54.1% (2017)
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 65.7% (2016 est.)
government consumption: 14% (2016 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 29% (2016 est.)
investment in inventories: 0% (2016 est.)
exports of goods and services: 33.2% (2016 est.)
imports of goods and services: -41.9% (2016 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 53.7 (2024 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 46.3 (2024 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 7.4 (2024 est.)
potential support ratio: 13.5 (2024 est.)
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Laos
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years
Population distribution
most densely populated area is in and around the capital city of Vientiane; large communities are primarily found along the Mekong River along the southwestern border; overall density is considered one of the lowest in Southeast Asia
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Mènam Khong (Mekong) (shared with China [s], Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam [m]) - 4,350 km
note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 3 (all cultural)
selected World Heritage Site locales:Town of Luangphrabang; Vat Phou and Associated Ancient Settlements; Megalithic Jar Sites in Xiengkhuang - Plain of Jars
Child marriage
women married by age 15: 7.1% (2017)
women married by age 18: 32.7% (2017)
men married by age 18: 10.8% (2017)
Coal
production: 16.629 million metric tons (2023 est.)
consumption: 15.944 million metric tons (2023 est.)
exports: 1.065 million metric tons (2023 est.)
imports: 22,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 62 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 23.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
solar: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity: 76.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
biomass and waste: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)