ASEAN country profile

🇱🇦 Laos profile

Economic links with China, Mekong development, infrastructure, and power exports dominate the story. Small scale, but outsized regional impact.

Capital
Vientiane
Currency
LAK
Population
7.8M
GDP
US$16.5B
Regional locator
ラオス / Laos
Position note

A landlocked country where the Mekong River and border corridors act as economic lifelines.

Capital
Vientiane

Administrative center of Laos.

Currency
Kip (LAK)

Local price levels and FX trends often matter for trade and investment coverage.

Population
7.8M

Latest available World Bank estimate.

Land area
230,800 km²

Stable geographic baseline for regional comparison.

GDP
US$16.5B

Nominal GDP, latest available World Bank value.

Industries
Key sectors

Hydropower / Mining / Agriculture / Logistics / Tourism

Climate intelligence

Weather, climate and geography

Climate

A tropical monsoon climate shaped by inland mountains and clear wet/dry seasonality.

Geography

A landlocked country where the Mekong River and border corridors act as economic lifelines.

Mar-Apr heat
May humidity
Sep rain peak
Bangkok monthly climate

Temperature, humidity and rain probability

TempHumidityRain
Data-driven brain

Economic indicators and trade signals

News Brain reads country news through population, GDP, growth and trade. The charts are intentionally quiet so users can see the signal before the commentary.

Annual series

Population trend

7.8M
2024
20202024+5.8%
Nominal current US$

GDP trend

US$16.5B
2024
20202024-13.1%
Trade as % of GDP

Trade openness

112.0%
2024
20202024+64.7%
Annual growth

Real GDP growth

4.0%
2024
20202024+700.0%
Trade flow

Exports and imports

current US$
Corporate intelligence map

Major Laos companies by global sector

Revenue or operating income is shown for scale. Banks use operating income because industrial revenue is not comparable.

Sources: stock exchange filings, company annual reports, World Bank macro series, and public corporate disclosures where available.
Utilities / Materials / Industrials

Power, mining and infrastructure

Core sectors for reading hydropower, mining, debt and China connectivity.

TOP 4
1
Électricité du Laos Generation
EDL-Gen

A key signal for hydropower exports and power-sector debt.

Based on: LSX filings
2
Phu Bia Mining

A representative mining investor in copper and gold.

3
Lao-China Railway

A base layer for logistics, tourism and China-linked connectivity.

4
Lao Airlines

Reflects tourism recovery and aviation demand.

Financials / Communication Services / Consumer Staples

Finance, telecom and consumer

Companies for reading currency pressure, living costs and provincial consumption.

TOP 4
1
BCEL
BCEL

A state commercial bank and benchmark for FX and credit.

2
Lao Telecom

A signal for telecom penetration and data demand.

3
Unitel

Important for telecom competition and provincial connectivity.

4
Lao Brewery

A flagship signal for consumer, tourism and beverage demand.

Revenue figures are rounded for readability. For banks and non-industrial financial firms, the displayed figure is operating or total income. This section is designed to show company scale at a glance, not to replace audited financial statements.
How News Brain reads signals

Economy reading frame

Economy scale

A small frontier economy centered on hydropower, mining, agriculture, and logistics.

Data first

The profile charts are designed as the factual base before AI commentary. Population, GDP, growth and trade show the pressure behind local news.

Reader value

Beautiful data is not decoration here. It helps readers compare news, notice turning points, and understand why a story matters.

Sector snapshot

Main industries

HydropowerMiningAgricultureLogisticsTourism
Why it matters

We connect macro trends, local policy shifts, and business consequences so readers can see what matters beyond the headline.

Editorial note

Population and GDP figures use the latest available World Bank values. Country notes combine stable background facts with News-Brain editorial context.