Merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$) in Laos
Laos: Merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$) was 8.28 billion current US$ in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise exports by the reporting economy in Laos, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in current US$.
Analysis
Laos recorded 8.28 billion current US$ for merchandise exports by the reporting economy in 2023. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
The figure is up 2.5% on the previous year and up 148.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise exports by the reporting economy in Laos peaked at 8.28 billion current US$ in 2023 and was at its lowest, 400,000 current US$, in 1965.
That places Laos 100th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$) in Laos, year by year
| Year | current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 18.50 million current US$ | — |
| 1962 | 491,000 current US$ | -97.3% |
| 1963 | 590,000 current US$ | +20.2% |
| 1964 | 490,000 current US$ | -16.9% |
| 1965 | 400,000 current US$ | -18.4% |
| 1967 | 4.44 million current US$ | +1009.0% |
| 1968 | 6.04 million current US$ | +36.1% |
| 1969 | 4.31 million current US$ | -28.7% |
| 1970 | 3.40 million current US$ | -21.1% |
| 1971 | 2.85 million current US$ | -16.0% |
| 1972 | 3.02 million current US$ | +6.0% |
| 1973 | 5.06 million current US$ | +67.5% |
| 1974 | 11.23 million current US$ | +121.8% |
| 1981 | 15.01 million current US$ | +33.7% |
| 1982 | 23.94 million current US$ | +59.5% |
| 1983 | 24.00 million current US$ | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 10.65 million current US$ | -55.6% |
| 1985 | 15.56 million current US$ | +46.1% |
| 1986 | 12.74 million current US$ | -18.1% |
| 1987 | 21.91 million current US$ | +72.0% |
| 1988 | 54.53 million current US$ | +148.9% |
| 1989 | 94.82 million current US$ | +73.9% |
| 1990 | 63.87 million current US$ | -32.6% |
| 1991 | 81.60 million current US$ | +27.8% |
| 1992 | 103.18 million current US$ | +26.4% |
| 1993 | 191.70 million current US$ | +85.8% |
| 1994 | 213.00 million current US$ | +11.1% |
| 1995 | 229.90 million current US$ | +7.9% |
| 1996 | 285.80 million current US$ | +24.3% |
| 1997 | 132.84 million current US$ | -53.5% |
| 1998 | 303.23 million current US$ | +128.3% |
| 1999 | 391.11 million current US$ | +29.0% |
| 2000 | 926.98 million current US$ | +137.0% |
| 2001 | 913.81 million current US$ | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 885.81 million current US$ | -3.1% |
| 2003 | 953.53 million current US$ | +7.6% |
| 2004 | 1.08 billion current US$ | +13.3% |
| 2005 | 1.11 billion current US$ | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 1.25 billion current US$ | +12.3% |
| 2007 | 1.21 billion current US$ | -3.1% |
| 2008 | 1.45 billion current US$ | +19.6% |
| 2009 | 1.40 billion current US$ | -3.1% |
| 2010 | 1.91 billion current US$ | +36.4% |
| 2011 | 2.61 billion current US$ | +36.7% |
| 2012 | 2.91 billion current US$ | +11.4% |
| 2013 | 3.33 billion current US$ | +14.5% |
| 2014 | 2.92 billion current US$ | -12.3% |
| 2015 | 2.86 billion current US$ | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 3.61 billion current US$ | +26.5% |
| 2017 | 4.91 billion current US$ | +35.9% |
| 2018 | 5.81 billion current US$ | +18.4% |
| 2019 | 5.81 billion current US$ | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 5.09 billion current US$ | -12.5% |
| 2021 | 6.71 billion current US$ | +31.9% |
| 2022 | 8.08 billion current US$ | +20.4% |
| 2023 | 8.28 billion current US$ | +2.5% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 8.28 billion current US$ is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.68 billion current US$, 1.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Laos's 8.28 billion current US$ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.00 billion current US$, 1.7× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | +1009.0% | 400,000 current US$ | 4.44 million current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.41 million current US$ | 400,000 current US$ | 18.50 million current US$ | 8 |
| 1970s | 5.11 million current US$ | 2.85 million current US$ | 11.23 million current US$ | 5 |
| 1980s | 30.35 million current US$ | 10.65 million current US$ | 94.82 million current US$ | 9 |
| 1990s | 199.62 million current US$ | 63.87 million current US$ | 391.11 million current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.12 billion current US$ | 885.81 million current US$ | 1.45 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.67 billion current US$ | 1.91 billion current US$ | 5.81 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.04 billion current US$ | 5.09 billion current US$ | 8.28 billion current US$ | 4 |
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)
- Food exports 23.2% (2023)
- Manufactures exports 32.8% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 12.38 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)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 31.87 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise exports by the reporting economy in Laos?
- Merchandise exports by the reporting economy in Laos was 8.28 billion current US$ in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise exports by the reporting economy recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 8.28 billion current US$ in 2023.
- What is the lowest merchandise exports by the reporting economy recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 400,000 current US$ in 1965.
- How does Laos rank for merchandise exports by the reporting economy?
- Laos ranks 100th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise exports by the reporting economy rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 148.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Merchandise exports by the reporting economy are the total merchandise exports by the reporting economy to the rest of the world, as reported in the IMF's Direction of trade database. Data are in current US$.