Total factor productivity in Laos
Laos: Total factor productivity was 0.9878 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Total factor productivity in Laos, 1980–2023
Source: Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Laos recorded 0.9878 for total factor productivity in 2023.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and down 15.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total factor productivity in Laos peaked at 1.31 in 1986 and was at its lowest, 0.9842, in 2022.
That places Laos 68th out of 120 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 44 years of available data.
Total factor productivity in Laos, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1.04 | — |
| 1981 | 1.17 | +12.8% |
| 1982 | 1.21 | +4.0% |
| 1983 | 1.22 | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 1.27 | +4.3% |
| 1985 | 1.29 | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 1.31 | +1.9% |
| 1987 | 1.22 | -7.1% |
| 1988 | 1.11 | -9.1% |
| 1989 | 1.14 | +3.0% |
| 1990 | 1.13 | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 1.11 | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 1.1 | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 1.1 | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 1.1 | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 1.11 | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 1.12 | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 1.13 | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 1.1 | -2.0% |
| 1999 | 1.11 | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 1.14 | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 1.16 | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 1.18 | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 1.18 | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 1.18 | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 1.15 | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 1.04 | -9.4% |
| 2007 | 1.13 | +8.6% |
| 2008 | 1.11 | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 1.12 | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 1.15 | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 1.16 | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 1.16 | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 1.17 | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 1.17 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1.17 | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 1.17 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 1.15 | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 1.13 | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 1.09 | -3.6% |
| 2020 | 1.04 | -4.3% |
| 2021 | 1 | -3.9% |
| 2022 | 0.9842 | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 0.9878 | +0.4% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 0.9878 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.9979, 99% of the median. (26 countries reporting)
- Laos's 0.9878 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.9955, 99% of the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.2 | 1.04 | 1.31 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.11 | 1.1 | 1.13 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.14 | 1.04 | 1.18 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.15 | 1.09 | 1.17 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1 | 0.9842 | 1.04 | 4 |
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 total factor productivity in Laos?
- Total factor productivity in Laos was 0.9878 in 2023, according to Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total factor productivity recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 1.31 in 1986.
- What is the lowest total factor productivity recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9842 in 2022.
- How does Laos rank for total factor productivity?
- Laos ranks 68th out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total factor productivity rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Total factor productivity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
This is the level of total factor productivity, relative to each country's value in 2021 (which is set to 1). This data is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.