International tourism, receipts (% of total exports) in Laos
Laos: International tourism, receipts (% of total exports) was 3.5% in 2020. ▼ Falling
International tourism, receipts in Laos, 1995–2020
Source: Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism. Measured in % of total exports.
Analysis
In 2020, international tourism, receipts in Laos stood at 3.5%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 74.8% on the previous year and down 79.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, international tourism, receipts in Laos peaked at 23.1% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 3.5%, in 2020.
Laos ranks 109th of 183 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
International tourism, receipts (% of total exports) in Laos, year by year
| Year | % of total exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 15.8% | — |
| 1996 | 18.3% | +15.2% |
| 1997 | 14.5% | -20.6% |
| 1998 | 20.2% | +39.1% |
| 1999 | 22.4% | +10.9% |
| 2001 | 22.2% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 23.1% | +3.7% |
| 2003 | 16.6% | -27.9% |
| 2004 | 22.5% | +35.3% |
| 2005 | 18.9% | -16.1% |
| 2006 | 14.5% | -23.3% |
| 2007 | 15.8% | +9.3% |
| 2008 | 18.7% | +18.5% |
| 2009 | 18.7% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 17.1% | -8.8% |
| 2011 | 17.2% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 16.3% | -5.3% |
| 2013 | 20.1% | +23.8% |
| 2014 | 15.9% | -21.0% |
| 2015 | 16.1% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 14.1% | -12.4% |
| 2017 | 11.6% | -17.9% |
| 2018 | 13.0% | +12.5% |
| 2019 | 13.9% | +7.0% |
| 2020 | 3.5% | -74.8% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 3.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.7%, 52% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Laos's 3.5% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.4%, 65% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 18.2% | 14.5% | 22.4% | 5 |
| 2000s | 19.0% | 14.5% | 23.1% | 9 |
| 2010s | 15.5% | 11.6% | 20.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.5% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Laos
More private sector data for Laos
- Merchandise trade 124.1% (2025)
- Food imports 12.7% (2023)
- Manufactures imports 61.7% (2023)
- Merchandise imports 10.34 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 1.65 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 23.2% (2023)
- Manufactures exports 32.8% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 12.38 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 1.83 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 1,572 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is international tourism, receipts in Laos?
- International tourism, receipts in Laos was 3.5% in 2020, according to Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism.
- What is the highest international tourism, receipts recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 23.1% in 2002.
- What is the lowest international tourism, receipts recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.5% in 2020.
- How does Laos rank for international tourism, receipts?
- Laos ranks 109th out of 183 countries with data for 2020.
- Is international tourism, receipts rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 79.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism, published as part of International tourism, receipts (% of total exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
International tourism receipts are expenditures by international inbound visitors, including payments to national carriers for international transport. These receipts include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except when these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include receipts for passenger transport items. Their share in exports is calculated as a ratio to exports of goods and services, which comprise all transactions between residents of a country and the rest of the world involving a change of ownership from residents to nonresidents of general merchandise, goods sent for processing and repairs, nonmonetary gold, and services.