External debt stocks, total in Laos
Laos: External debt stocks, total was 17.84 billion DOD, current US$ in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
17.84 billion DOD, current US$
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
50th
of 122 countries
All-time high
20.43 billion DOD, current US$
in 2020
All-time low
8.35 million DOD, current US$
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
External debt stocks, total in Laos, 1970–2024
Source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Measured in DOD, current US$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for external debt stocks, total in Laos is 17.84 billion DOD, current US$, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and up 89.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external debt stocks, total in Laos peaked at 20.43 billion DOD, current US$ in 2020 and was at its lowest, 8.35 million DOD, current US$, in 1970.
That places Laos 50th out of 122 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
External debt stocks, total in Laos, year by year
| Year | DOD, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 8.35 million DOD, current US$ | — |
| 1971 | 15.63 million DOD, current US$ | +87.3% |
| 1972 | 18.80 million DOD, current US$ | +20.3% |
| 1973 | 32.60 million DOD, current US$ | +73.4% |
| 1974 | 41.03 million DOD, current US$ | +25.9% |
| 1975 | 44.23 million DOD, current US$ | +7.8% |
| 1976 | 108.23 million DOD, current US$ | +144.7% |
| 1977 | 172.95 million DOD, current US$ | +59.8% |
| 1978 | 255.35 million DOD, current US$ | +47.6% |
| 1979 | 310.87 million DOD, current US$ | +21.7% |
| 1980 | 352.95 million DOD, current US$ | +13.5% |
| 1981 | 392.65 million DOD, current US$ | +11.3% |
| 1982 | 431.29 million DOD, current US$ | +9.8% |
| 1983 | 453.21 million DOD, current US$ | +5.1% |
| 1984 | 520.89 million DOD, current US$ | +14.9% |
| 1985 | 621.36 million DOD, current US$ | +19.3% |
| 1986 | 870.92 million DOD, current US$ | +40.2% |
| 1987 | 1.16 billion DOD, current US$ | +33.7% |
| 1988 | 1.33 billion DOD, current US$ | +14.1% |
| 1989 | 1.47 billion DOD, current US$ | +11.0% |
| 1990 | 1.77 billion DOD, current US$ | +20.0% |
| 1991 | 1.87 billion DOD, current US$ | +5.9% |
| 1992 | 1.92 billion DOD, current US$ | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 1.99 billion DOD, current US$ | +3.6% |
| 1994 | 2.07 billion DOD, current US$ | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 2.16 billion DOD, current US$ | +4.2% |
| 1996 | 2.26 billion DOD, current US$ | +4.6% |
| 1997 | 2.33 billion DOD, current US$ | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 2.46 billion DOD, current US$ | +5.7% |
| 1999 | 2.56 billion DOD, current US$ | +4.1% |
| 2000 | 2.53 billion DOD, current US$ | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 2.54 billion DOD, current US$ | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 3.10 billion DOD, current US$ | +22.4% |
| 2003 | 2.44 billion DOD, current US$ | -21.3% |
| 2004 | 2.79 billion DOD, current US$ | +14.1% |
| 2005 | 3.10 billion DOD, current US$ | +11.4% |
| 2006 | 3.62 billion DOD, current US$ | +16.5% |
| 2007 | 4.79 billion DOD, current US$ | +32.6% |
| 2008 | 5.45 billion DOD, current US$ | +13.7% |
| 2009 | 6.18 billion DOD, current US$ | +13.4% |
| 2010 | 6.35 billion DOD, current US$ | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 6.87 billion DOD, current US$ | +8.3% |
| 2012 | 7.21 billion DOD, current US$ | +5.0% |
| 2013 | 7.98 billion DOD, current US$ | +10.6% |
| 2014 | 9.43 billion DOD, current US$ | +18.2% |
| 2015 | 11.49 billion DOD, current US$ | +21.8% |
| 2016 | 13.53 billion DOD, current US$ | +17.8% |
| 2017 | 15.07 billion DOD, current US$ | +11.4% |
| 2018 | 15.96 billion DOD, current US$ | +5.8% |
| 2019 | 19.04 billion DOD, current US$ | +19.3% |
| 2020 | 20.43 billion DOD, current US$ | +7.3% |
| 2021 | 18.71 billion DOD, current US$ | -8.4% |
| 2022 | 18.49 billion DOD, current US$ | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 18.06 billion DOD, current US$ | -2.4% |
| 2024 | 17.84 billion DOD, current US$ | -1.2% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 17.84 billion DOD, current US$ is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.40 billion DOD, current US$, 1.2× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Laos's 17.84 billion DOD, current US$ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 15.35 billion DOD, current US$, 1.2× the median. (16 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External debt stocks, total in Laos changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | +144.7% | 44.23 million DOD, current US$ | 108.23 million DOD, current US$ |
| 1971 | +87.3% | 8.35 million DOD, current US$ | 15.63 million DOD, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 100.80 million DOD, current US$ | 8.35 million DOD, current US$ | 310.87 million DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 760.94 million DOD, current US$ | 352.95 million DOD, current US$ | 1.47 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.14 billion DOD, current US$ | 1.77 billion DOD, current US$ | 2.56 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.65 billion DOD, current US$ | 2.44 billion DOD, current US$ | 6.18 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.29 billion DOD, current US$ | 6.35 billion DOD, current US$ | 19.04 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.71 billion DOD, current US$ | 17.84 billion DOD, current US$ | 20.43 billion DOD, current US$ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Laos
More economy & growth data for Laos
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.39 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 4.6 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 6,670 BoP, current US$ (2022)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 0.0009 BoP, current US$ per person (2022)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 988.46 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -44.51 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0599 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 127.22 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 25.05 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external debt stocks, total in Laos?
- External debt stocks, total in Laos was 17.84 billion DOD, current US$ in 2024, according to International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest external debt stocks, total recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 20.43 billion DOD, current US$ in 2020.
- What is the lowest external debt stocks, total recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.35 million DOD, current US$ in 1970.
- How does Laos rank for external debt stocks, total?
- Laos ranks 50th out of 122 countries with data for 2024.
- Is external debt stocks, total rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 89.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), published as part of External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Total external debt is debt owed to nonresidents repayable in currency, goods, or services. Total external debt is the sum of public, publicly guaranteed, and private nonguaranteed long-term debt, use of IMF credit, and short-term debt. Short-term debt includes all debt having an original maturity of one year or less and interest in arrears on long-term debt. Data are in current U.S. dollars.