Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Lao People's Democratic Republic
Lao People's Democratic Republic: Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP was 6.0% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Lao People's Democratic Republic, 1984–2024
Source: IMF International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments; World Bank International Debt Statistics and GDP estimates; and OECD GDP estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Lao People's Democratic Republic is 6.0%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 46.7% on the previous year and down 8.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Lao People's Democratic Republic peaked at 11.2% in 2023 and was at its lowest, -0.1%, in 1985.
Lao People's Democratic Republic ranks 36th of 198 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP in Lao People's Democratic Republic, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 0.0% | — |
| 1985 | -0.1% | — |
| 1986 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
| 1987 | 0.0% | — |
| 1988 | 0.3% | — |
| 1989 | 0.6% | +67.8% |
| 1990 | 0.7% | +23.7% |
| 1991 | 0.7% | -3.2% |
| 1992 | 0.7% | +3.0% |
| 1993 | 2.3% | +225.6% |
| 1994 | 3.8% | +70.3% |
| 1995 | 5.4% | +40.6% |
| 1996 | 8.5% | +58.2% |
| 1997 | 5.2% | -38.9% |
| 1998 | 3.6% | -31.2% |
| 1999 | 5.4% | +51.3% |
| 2000 | 2.0% | -63.9% |
| 2001 | 1.4% | -31.0% |
| 2002 | 0.3% | -81.3% |
| 2003 | 1.0% | +280.4% |
| 2004 | 0.7% | -25.8% |
| 2005 | 1.0% | +41.7% |
| 2006 | 5.4% | +435.0% |
| 2007 | 7.7% | +41.3% |
| 2008 | 4.2% | -45.4% |
| 2009 | 5.5% | +30.5% |
| 2010 | 3.9% | -28.4% |
| 2011 | 3.4% | -12.1% |
| 2012 | 6.1% | +76.3% |
| 2013 | 5.7% | -6.2% |
| 2014 | 6.5% | +14.9% |
| 2015 | 7.5% | +14.3% |
| 2016 | 5.9% | -21.3% |
| 2017 | 9.9% | +68.1% |
| 2018 | 7.5% | -24.2% |
| 2019 | 4.0% | -46.1% |
| 2020 | 5.1% | +26.5% |
| 2021 | 5.7% | +11.7% |
| 2022 | 4.7% | -17.5% |
| 2023 | 11.2% | +139.5% |
| 2024 | 6.0% | -46.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.1% | -0.1% | 0.6% | 6 |
| 1990s | 3.6% | 0.7% | 8.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.9% | 0.3% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.0% | 3.4% | 9.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.5% | 4.7% | 11.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lao People's Democratic Republic
More economy & growth data for Lao People's Democratic Republic
- 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)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 4.55 % change on previous year (2016)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.4914 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2016)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita 1,132 constant 2015 US$ per person (2016)
- External balance on goods and services (current US$), annual growth 46.54 % change on previous year (2016)
- External balance on goods and services (current LCU), annual growth 46.56 % change on previous year (2016)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), annual 11.4 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 3,397 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 7.90 million current LCU per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Lao People's Democratic Republic?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp in Lao People's Democratic Republic was 6.0% in 2024, according to IMF International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments; World Bank International Debt Statistics and GDP estimates; and OECD GDP estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp recorded in Lao People's Democratic Republic?
- The highest recorded value was 11.2% in 2023.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp recorded in Lao People's Democratic Republic?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.1% in 1985.
- How does Lao People's Democratic Republic rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp?
- Lao People's Democratic Republic ranks 36th out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of gdp rising or falling in Lao People's Democratic Republic?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lao People's Democratic Republic data come from?
- The figures come from IMF International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments; World Bank International Debt Statistics and GDP estimates; and OECD GDP estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Foreign direct investment, net inflows as share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Net inflows of foreign direct investment from foreign investors to the reporting economy.