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

Latest five years

Population trend

7.8M
2024
20202024+5.8%
Latest five years

GDP trend

16.5B
2024
20202024-13.1%
Where the story happens

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.

Economy scale

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

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.