Total debt service (% of GNI) (UNESCO Institute) in Laos
Laos: Total debt service (% of GNI) (UNESCO Institute) was 8.4% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Total debt service in Laos, 1984–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of GNI.
Analysis
Laos recorded 8.4% for total debt service in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.5% on the previous year and up 175.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total debt service in Laos peaked at 13.0% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 1985.
Laos ranks 21st of 119 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Total debt service (% of GNI) (UNESCO Institute) in Laos, year by year
| Year | % of GNI | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 0.4% | — |
| 1985 | 0.3% | -25.0% |
| 1986 | 0.5% | +63.2% |
| 1987 | 1.0% | +102.3% |
| 1988 | 1.7% | +78.8% |
| 1989 | 2.5% | +42.6% |
| 1990 | 1.0% | -57.6% |
| 1991 | 0.8% | -20.4% |
| 1992 | 0.8% | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 2.1% | +153.0% |
| 1994 | 1.3% | -40.1% |
| 1995 | 1.5% | +13.1% |
| 1996 | 1.5% | +5.4% |
| 1997 | 1.6% | +5.0% |
| 1998 | 2.5% | +54.2% |
| 1999 | 2.6% | +5.5% |
| 2000 | 2.5% | -5.9% |
| 2001 | 2.6% | +5.7% |
| 2002 | 5.6% | +115.5% |
| 2003 | 5.4% | -3.8% |
| 2004 | 5.5% | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 5.1% | -8.0% |
| 2006 | 5.7% | +12.8% |
| 2007 | 4.9% | -14.3% |
| 2008 | 4.2% | -14.4% |
| 2009 | 4.1% | -3.7% |
| 2010 | 4.5% | +11.5% |
| 2011 | 3.9% | -14.6% |
| 2012 | 2.8% | -27.8% |
| 2013 | 3.0% | +9.0% |
| 2014 | 3.1% | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 3.1% | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 3.7% | +20.2% |
| 2017 | 4.0% | +9.1% |
| 2018 | 4.4% | +11.1% |
| 2019 | 6.0% | +35.9% |
| 2020 | 5.2% | -14.2% |
| 2021 | 13.0% | +150.1% |
| 2022 | 7.7% | -40.5% |
| 2023 | 8.4% | +8.5% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 8.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.8%, 2.2× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Laos's 8.4% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.2%, 2.0× the median. (16 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Total debt service (% of GNI) (UNESCO Institute) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | +153.0% | 0.8% | 2.1% |
| 2021 | +150.1% | 5.2% | 13.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.0% | 0.3% | 2.5% | 6 |
| 1990s | 1.6% | 0.8% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.6% | 2.5% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.8% | 2.8% | 6.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.6% | 5.2% | 13.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Laos
More population data for Laos
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.5042 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.23 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.5042 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.3849 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 9,776 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.13 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.9341 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.511 (2100)
- Population density 40.11 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 438,726 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total debt service in Laos?
- Total debt service in Laos was 8.4% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total debt service recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 13.0% in 2021.
- What is the lowest total debt service recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 1985.
- How does Laos rank for total debt service?
- Laos ranks 21st out of 119 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total debt service rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 175.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Total debt service (% of GNI). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 40 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release