Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Laos: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCB, ranked #118 of 195).
Laos is a communist party-led state in Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam. The country's capital is Vientiane (Viangchan); it covers 236,800 sq km. Independence: 19 July 1949 (from France); 22 October 1953 (Franco-Lao Treaty recognizes full independence). Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus. Climate: tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April). Population: 8.0 million (2024 estimate). Population growth: +1.22% per year. Median age: 25.8 years. Life expectancy: 69 years (2024 est.). Languages: Lao (official), French, English, various ethnic languages Religions: Buddhist 64.7%, Christian 1.7%, none 31.4%, other…
| Capital | Vientiane (Viangchan) |
|---|---|
| Population | 7,953,556 (2024 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $66.905 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $8,600 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 4.3% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 23.1% |
| Unemployment | 1.3% |
| Public debt | 58.4% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $9.698 billion (2023 est.) |
| Imports | $8.596 billion (2023 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 69 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 25.8 |
| Urbanization | 38.2% of total population (2023) |
| Government | communist party-led state |
| Independence | 19 July 1949 (from France); 22 October 1953 (Franco-Lao Treaty recognizes full independence) |
| Languages | Lao (official), French, English, various ethnic languages |
MCB · 45/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
A quiet quarter: no major shocks, no breakthroughs. The country's trajectory is set by structural forces larger than any single season.
The honest reading is steadiness — neither crisis nor windfall — with the long currents of demography, trade and institutions deciding more than any three months.
Timber, Hydropower, Gypsum, Tin, Gold.
Thongloun Sisoulith — President. President THONGLOUN Sisoulith (since 22 March 2021)
Laos maintains 40 embassies abroad, hosts 28 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to ASEAN Jakarta, UN New York, UN Geneva. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 40 |
|---|---|
| Foreign missions hosted | 28 |
| Multilateral missions | ASEAN Jakarta, UN New York, UN Geneva |
Source: Lowy Institute Global Diplomacy Index 2024 (released 2024-02-25), https://globaldiplomacyindex.lowyinstitute.org/; Wikipedia 'List of diplomatic missions of Laos', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_of_Laos; '... in Laos', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_in_Laos
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Landlocked — no seacoast; exports move through transit corridors across neighbouring countries. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 20 (registration prefix RDPL) |
| Railways | 422 km |
| Pipelines | 540 km refined products (2013) |
Luang Phabang International Airport (LPQ) — Luang Phabang; Pakse International Airport (PKZ) — Pakse; Wattay International Airport (VTE) — Vientiane; Bokeo International Airport (BOR) — Ton Phueng.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | one-party communist state |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MCB · 45 Ranked #118 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Laos.
