Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) in Laos
Laos: Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) was 32.8% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Manufactures exports in Laos, 1962–2023
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise exports.
Analysis
Laos recorded 32.8% for manufactures exports in 2023. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 45.9% on the previous year and up 113.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, manufactures exports in Laos peaked at 32.8% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1971.
Laos ranks 94th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) in Laos, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 9.4% | — |
| 1963 | 0.8% | -91.2% |
| 1964 | 6.2% | +645.7% |
| 1965 | 6.4% | +4.2% |
| 1966 | 0.6% | -90.5% |
| 1967 | 2.5% | +320.0% |
| 1968 | 1.7% | -34.3% |
| 1969 | 0.3% | -83.5% |
| 1970 | 30.8% | +11037.8% |
| 1971 | 0.1% | -99.7% |
| 1972 | 0.1% | +23.5% |
| 1973 | 4.9% | +4369.8% |
| 1974 | 4.1% | -15.8% |
| 2010 | 16.1% | +292.2% |
| 2011 | 13.6% | -15.4% |
| 2012 | 8.4% | -38.2% |
| 2013 | 15.4% | +82.6% |
| 2014 | 23.9% | +55.5% |
| 2015 | 28.4% | +18.9% |
| 2016 | 26.2% | -7.6% |
| 2017 | 20.9% | -20.3% |
| 2018 | 21.2% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 22.4% | +5.6% |
| 2020 | 20.0% | -10.5% |
| 2021 | 25.1% | +25.4% |
| 2022 | 22.5% | -10.5% |
| 2023 | 32.8% | +45.9% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 32.8% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 22.3%, 1.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Laos's 32.8% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 39.4%, 83% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) in Laos changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | +11037.8% | 0.3% | 30.8% |
| 1973 | +4369.8% | 0.1% | 4.9% |
| 1964 | +645.7% | 0.8% | 6.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.5% | 0.3% | 9.4% | 8 |
| 1970s | 8.0% | 0.1% | 30.8% | 5 |
| 2010s | 19.6% | 8.4% | 28.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.1% | 20.0% | 32.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Laos
- 91 Moldova 36.5% compare
- 92 Togo 35.0% compare
- 93 French Polynesia 34.1% compare
- 95 Kyrgyzstan 32.3% compare
- 96 Madagascar 32.3% compare
- 97 Bahamas 31.2% compare
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)
- 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)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.6762 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is manufactures exports in Laos?
- Manufactures exports in Laos was 32.8% in 2023, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest manufactures exports recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 32.8% in 2023.
- What is the lowest manufactures exports recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1971.
- How does Laos rank for manufactures exports?
- Laos ranks 94th out of 196 countries with data for 2023.
- Is manufactures exports rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 113.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division, published as part of Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Manufactures comprise commodities in SITC (Rev. 3) sections 5 (chemicals), 6 (basic manufactures), 7 (machinery and transport equipment), and 8 (miscellaneous manufactured goods), excluding division 68 (non-ferrous metals). This indicator is expressed as a percentage of merchandise exports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a resident and a non-resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e.