Merchandise imports (current US$), per square kilometre in Laos
Laos: Merchandise imports (current US$), per square kilometre was 33,141 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports (current US$), per square kilometre in Laos, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in current US$ per square kilometre.
Analysis
Laos recorded 33,141 current US$ per square kilometre for merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 5.6% on the previous year and up 148.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre in Laos peaked at 33,141 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 60.66 current US$ per square kilometre, in 1977.
Laos ranks 158th of 205 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise imports (current US$), per square kilometre in Laos, year by year
| Year | current US$ per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 73.66 current US$ per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 99.65 current US$ per square kilometre | +35.3% |
| 1963 | 112.65 current US$ per square kilometre | +13.0% |
| 1964 | 112.65 current US$ per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 142.98 current US$ per square kilometre | +26.9% |
| 1966 | 181.98 current US$ per square kilometre | +27.3% |
| 1967 | 212.31 current US$ per square kilometre | +16.7% |
| 1968 | 233.97 current US$ per square kilometre | +10.2% |
| 1969 | 359.62 current US$ per square kilometre | +53.7% |
| 1970 | 493.93 current US$ per square kilometre | +37.3% |
| 1971 | 355.29 current US$ per square kilometre | -28.1% |
| 1972 | 272.96 current US$ per square kilometre | -23.2% |
| 1973 | 246.97 current US$ per square kilometre | -9.5% |
| 1974 | 281.63 current US$ per square kilometre | +14.0% |
| 1975 | 194.97 current US$ per square kilometre | -30.8% |
| 1976 | 194.97 current US$ per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 60.66 current US$ per square kilometre | -68.9% |
| 1978 | 69.32 current US$ per square kilometre | +14.3% |
| 1979 | 303.29 current US$ per square kilometre | +337.5% |
| 1980 | 398.61 current US$ per square kilometre | +31.4% |
| 1981 | 476.6 current US$ per square kilometre | +19.6% |
| 1982 | 571.92 current US$ per square kilometre | +20.0% |
| 1983 | 649.91 current US$ per square kilometre | +13.6% |
| 1984 | 701.91 current US$ per square kilometre | +8.0% |
| 1985 | 836.22 current US$ per square kilometre | +19.1% |
| 1986 | 805.89 current US$ per square kilometre | -3.6% |
| 1987 | 935.88 current US$ per square kilometre | +16.1% |
| 1988 | 836.22 current US$ per square kilometre | -10.6% |
| 1989 | 801.56 current US$ per square kilometre | -4.1% |
| 1990 | 801.56 current US$ per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 736.57 current US$ per square kilometre | -8.1% |
| 1992 | 1,170 current US$ per square kilometre | +58.8% |
| 1993 | 1,872 current US$ per square kilometre | +60.0% |
| 1994 | 2,444 current US$ per square kilometre | +30.6% |
| 1995 | 2,552 current US$ per square kilometre | +4.4% |
| 1996 | 2,990 current US$ per square kilometre | +17.1% |
| 1997 | 3,059 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 2,396 current US$ per square kilometre | -21.7% |
| 1999 | 2,275 current US$ per square kilometre | -5.1% |
| 2000 | 2,318 current US$ per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 2,210 current US$ per square kilometre | -4.7% |
| 2002 | 1,937 current US$ per square kilometre | -12.4% |
| 2003 | 2,002 current US$ per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 3,089 current US$ per square kilometre | +54.3% |
| 2005 | 3,821 current US$ per square kilometre | +23.7% |
| 2006 | 4,593 current US$ per square kilometre | +20.2% |
| 2007 | 4,623 current US$ per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 6,079 current US$ per square kilometre | +31.5% |
| 2009 | 6,330 current US$ per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 2010 | 8,925 current US$ per square kilometre | +41.0% |
| 2011 | 10,416 current US$ per square kilometre | +16.7% |
| 2012 | 13,237 current US$ per square kilometre | +27.1% |
| 2013 | 13,349 current US$ per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 18,505 current US$ per square kilometre | +38.6% |
| 2015 | 24,588 current US$ per square kilometre | +32.9% |
| 2016 | 23,276 current US$ per square kilometre | -5.3% |
| 2017 | 24,554 current US$ per square kilometre | +5.5% |
| 2018 | 27,361 current US$ per square kilometre | +11.4% |
| 2019 | 27,175 current US$ per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 23,267 current US$ per square kilometre | -14.4% |
| 2021 | 27,188 current US$ per square kilometre | +16.9% |
| 2022 | 31,386 current US$ per square kilometre | +15.4% |
| 2023 | 33,141 current US$ per square kilometre | +5.6% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 33,141 current US$ per square kilometre is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 59,585 current US$ per square kilometre, 56% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Laos's 33,141 current US$ per square kilometre is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 426,087 current US$ per square kilometre, 8% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports (current US$), per square kilometre in Laos changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | +337.5% | 69.32 current US$ per square kilometre | 303.29 current US$ per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 169.94 current US$ per square kilometre | 73.66 current US$ per square kilometre | 359.62 current US$ per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 247.4 current US$ per square kilometre | 60.66 current US$ per square kilometre | 493.93 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 701.47 current US$ per square kilometre | 398.61 current US$ per square kilometre | 935.88 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 2,029 current US$ per square kilometre | 736.57 current US$ per square kilometre | 3,059 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 3,700 current US$ per square kilometre | 1,937 current US$ per square kilometre | 6,330 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 19,139 current US$ per square kilometre | 8,925 current US$ per square kilometre | 27,361 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 28,746 current US$ per square kilometre | 23,267 current US$ per square kilometre | 33,141 current US$ per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Laos
- 155 Australia 37,364 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 156 Bhutan 34,426 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 157 Malawi 33,316 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 159 Syria 32,680 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 160 Kenya 31,995 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 161 Guyana 31,429 current US$ per square kilometre 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)
- 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$), annual growth rate 31.87 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre in Laos?
- Merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre in Laos was 33,141 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 33,141 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 60.66 current US$ per square kilometre in 1977.
- How does Laos rank for merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre?
- Laos ranks 158th out of 205 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 148.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Merchandise imports (current US$), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Merchandise imports (current US$) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Merchandise imports (current US$) ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Merchandise imports World Trade Organization (WTO)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Merchandise imports (current US$) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.