Travel services (% of commercial service exports) in Laos
Laos: Travel services (% of commercial service exports) was 81.1% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Travel services in Laos, 1988–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of commercial service exports.
Analysis
In 2025, travel services in Laos stood at 81.1%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.4% on the previous year and down 5.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, travel services in Laos peaked at 85.9% in 2016 and was at its lowest, -291.9%, in 1992.
Laos ranks 18th of 198 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Travel services (% of commercial service exports) in Laos, year by year
| Year | % of commercial service exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 8.7% | — |
| 1989 | 16.5% | +89.8% |
| 1990 | 24.3% | +47.2% |
| 1991 | 38.7% | +59.1% |
| 1992 | -291.9% | -855.1% |
| 1993 | 41.6% | -114.3% |
| 1994 | 52.6% | +26.4% |
| 1995 | 62.4% | +18.6% |
| 1996 | 84.4% | +35.3% |
| 1997 | 28.2% | -66.6% |
| 1998 | 35.9% | +27.3% |
| 1999 | 42.3% | +17.8% |
| 2000 | 85.3% | +101.4% |
| 2001 | 73.8% | -13.4% |
| 2002 | 70.2% | -4.9% |
| 2003 | 66.9% | -4.7% |
| 2004 | 74.6% | +11.4% |
| 2005 | 75.4% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 77.8% | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 74.2% | -4.7% |
| 2008 | 76.7% | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 71.6% | -6.6% |
| 2010 | 78.1% | +9.1% |
| 2011 | 77.3% | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 82.5% | +6.7% |
| 2013 | 78.2% | -5.2% |
| 2014 | 85.1% | +8.8% |
| 2015 | 85.9% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 85.9% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 83.7% | -2.6% |
| 2018 | 82.4% | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 79.3% | -3.7% |
| 2020 | 61.7% | -22.2% |
| 2022 | 65.2% | +5.6% |
| 2023 | 78.6% | +20.5% |
| 2024 | 77.0% | -2.0% |
| 2025 | 81.1% | +5.4% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 81.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 38.7%, 2.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Laos's 81.1% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 48.6%, 1.7× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Travel services (% of commercial service 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | -855.1% | 38.7% | -291.9% |
| 1993 | +114.3% | -291.9% | 41.6% |
| 2000 | +101.4% | 42.3% | 85.3% |
| 1989 | +89.8% | 8.7% | 16.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12.6% | 8.7% | 16.5% | 2 |
| 1990s | 11.9% | -291.9% | 84.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 74.6% | 66.9% | 85.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 81.8% | 77.3% | 85.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 72.7% | 61.7% | 81.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Laos
- 15 Saint Kitts and Nevis 83.8% compare
- 16 East Timor 82.7% compare
- 17 Jamaica 81.7% compare
- 19 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 81.1% compare
- 20 Cape Verde 80.3% compare
- 21 Dominican Republic 80.2% 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)
- 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 travel services in Laos?
- Travel services in Laos was 81.1% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest travel services recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 85.9% in 2016.
- What is the lowest travel services recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was -291.9% in 1992.
- How does Laos rank for travel services?
- Laos ranks 18th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is travel services rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Travel services (% of commercial service exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Travel services cover goods and services for own use or to give away acquired from an economy by nonresidents during visits to that economy, or acquired from other economies by residents during visits to these other economies. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of service exports which are commercial services provided by residents to non-residents.