Laos

Full name of country: Lao People's Democratic Republic

Region: East & Southeast Asia

Official language: Lao

Population: 7,953,556 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Lao(s) or Laotian(s) (noun), Lao or Laotian (adjective)

Land area: 230,800 sq km (89,112 sq miles)

Water area: 6,000 sq km (2,317 sq miles)

Capital: Vientiane (Viangchan)

National anthem: "Pheng Xat Lao" (Hymn of the Lao People), by Sisana Sisane/Thongdy Sounthonevichit

National holiday: Republic Day, December 2 (1975)

Population growth: 1.26% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC +7

Flag: The flag of Laos features three horizontal bands of color, with a blue stripe between two thinner stripes of red. A white disc is located in the center of the flag, which symbolizes the unity of the Laotian people.

Independence: July 19, 1949 (from France)

Government type: Communist state

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legal system: civil law system similar in form to the French system

The Lao People’s Democratic Republic is a Southeast Asian country bordered by China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar. For centuries a monarchy, Laos became part of the French colony of Indochina and gained its independence only in 1953.

Communist forces overthrew the government in 1975, after years of internal fighting that became part of the larger conflict engulfing Vietnam and Cambodia. As an important supply route to troops in Northern Vietnam, and with a communist movement of its own, Laos was devastated by secret US bombing campaigns (1964–73).

The postwar years were marked by a slow, difficult recovery and the emigration of many Laotian people. Though Laos remains a communist country, the collapse of the Soviet Union and subsequent loss of its support caused the Laotian government to undertake market reforms that helped bolster the economy and led to improved relations with the international community.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: The population of Laos has grown rapidly. Though it has a high birth rate, infant mortality is also high. Life expectancy is 67.4 years for men and 70.7 years for women (2024 estimates). Laos is one of the poorest countries in the world. The country ranked 139 out of 193 countries and territories (based on data for 2022) on the 2022 United Nations Human Development Index.

The largest portion of the Laotian population is concentrated on the alluvial plains of the Mekong River Valley. With only 38.2 percent of Laotians living in cities, the population is overwhelmingly rural (2023 estimate). Migration to urban centers has, however, become a trend. Vientiane, with 721,000 residents in 2023, is the largest urban center. Others are Savannakhet and Pakxe.

Ethnic Lao make up about 53.2 percent of the population (2015 estimate). Other ethnic groups include the Khmou (11 percent), Hmong (9.2 percent), Tai (3.1 percent), Phuthai (3.4 percent), Lue (2 percent), Katang (2 percent), Makong (2.5 percent), and Akha, (1.8 percent), among others.

Lao is the country’s official language and belongs to the Austro-Asiatic family. It is written in an alphabet related to Sanskrit and depends on the tone of the voice for meaning. There are numerous dialects of Lao spoken throughout the country, some by only small groups of people. Each of the major Laotian ethnic groups speaks one of four major branches: the Tai-Kadai languages are spoken by the lowland populations, the Mon-Khmer languages by the upland populations, and Tibeto-Burman and Hmong-Mien languages by the mountain populations.

Though Laos is a communist country, the government has not repressed religious expression. About 64.7 percent of the population adheres to Buddhism, which is most widespread among the lowlanders (2015 estimate). Some Laotians who live in the uplands and the mountains have converted to Buddhism, but many practice phi worship, which is a form of animism. A small percentage of Laotians are adherents of Christianity.

Indigenous People: The many ethnic sub-groups of Laos have been categorized into three major groups: the Lao Loum, who occupy the lowlands; the Lao Theung, who occupy upland valleys; and the Lao Soung (or Hmong), who occupy the mountains.

The Lao Loum and the Lao Theung have long been in the region, whereas the Lao Soung are thought to have migrated there in the nineteenth century. In addition to being divisible by language and custom, each group undertakes specific work. The Lao Loum specialize in wet rice farming, while the other two groups use slash-and-burn techniques to clear the hillsides and plateaus for their crops.

Many Hmong have left Laos because, having backed the United States during the Second Indochina War, they have experienced persecution in their native country.

Education: The Laotian government has long emphasized the need for universal education, but it lacks the resources to realize this goal, especially in rural areas. In theory, a compulsory five years of primary school is followed by at least six years of secondary school. In practice, primary school attendance is high among the Lao Lum but secondary school attendance is much lower. Among other ethnic groups, it is low for both levels, and many children do not receive any formal education. The literacy rate is 91.4 percent for men and 81.4 percent for women (2021 estimates).

There are few institutes of higher education in Laos. They include the National University of Laos and smaller technical colleges located outside of the capital.

Health Care: Though Laos has a system of socialized medicine, it cannot adequately cope with the health needs of the population because of shortages of medical supplies, facilities, and health care practitioners. The situation is even worse in rural areas, and many people have recourse only to traditional medicines. As a result, many easily remedied illnesses adversely affect the Laotian population. These include typhoid, malaria, bilharzias, chickenpox, diarrhea, and intestinal parasites. Malnutrition, especially among children, is also a significant problem.

Food: Laotian cuisine shares similarities with that of Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, but has several distinctions that set it apart. Rice, especially sticky rice that can be mashed and dipped into condiments, is usually eaten three times a day, accompanied with pieces of fish or meat and flavored with a fermented fish sauce called pa daek.

One popular dish is laap: fish or meat, including game, which is chopped with herbs and vegetables. Laotians prefer the meat to be raw. Another popular dish is feu, a soup with rice noodles, meat balls, and fresh herbs. A typical salad is made of green papaya and chilies. Tea, coffee, rice whiskey, and rice wine are popular drinks.

Arts & Entertainment: Eastern religions have widely influenced the arts in Laos. Such influence is immediately obvious in the Buddhist temples and monasteries throughout the country, and the sculptures and decorations that are part of these structures. Buddha is also a central figure in the epics, proverbs, parables, poems, and lyrics of Laotian literature. The Vetsantrasadok, which details Buddha’s early life, is one of the most popular works. Another, Pphra Lak Phra Lam, is a retelling of the Ramayana, the Hindu epic.

Laotians excel at traditional arts. Woven and embroidered cloth, silk, ceramics, jewelry, and carvings are all commonly produced, both for personal use and for sale. Women and men often specialize in different crafts, as do different villages and ethnic groups.

Football (soccer), volleyball, and track and field are popular Western sports in Laos, but Laotians also play games typical to the country and region. These include Thai kickboxing and sepak takraw, a game involving two teams who must pass a ball over a net without using the hands. Dancing is also a popular activity.

Holidays: In Laos, major holidays and festivals are religious in nature, inspired mainly by Buddhism but also by pre-Buddhist practices meant to invite rain and a good harvest. The week-long Laotian New Year is celebrated in April. Families clean house in preparation for the holiday, during which they gather together for feasts, sing and dance, and visit local temples for prayers and ceremonies.

Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death are celebrated on Visakha Puja in May. The faithful visit local temples for prayers and to offer food. Boon Bang Fai, the rocket festival, takes place at the same time. Laotians build rockets and enter them into a competition. The holiday is intended to bring rain.

Haw Khao Padap Din is a festival of remembrance for the dead involving visits to temple, special prayers, and cremations. The end of the harvest is marked with the week-long That Luang festival at the Great Stupa in Vientiane. It involves a candlelit procession around the stupa and offerings of food and flowers to the monks.

Environment and Geography

Topography: Laos is a landlocked country. Mountains and plateaus account for 70 percent of its terrain. The primary range extends across much of the country’s north and along half of the border between Laos and Vietnam. Known as the Annam Highlands (Truong Son), these mountains average between 1,500 and 3,000 meters (4,921 and 9,843 feet) in height, and reach the country’s highest point at Phou Bia (2,817 meters/9,242 feet). The southeastern portion of the country is also mountainous. Three high plateaus rise in Laos: the Plain of Jars in the north, the Vientiane Plain in the center, and the Bolaven Plateau in the south.

The heavily cultivated alluvial plains of the Mekong River Valley account for approximately 20 percent of the country’s terrain. This region is dominated by the Mekong River, which originates in China and flows along the length of Laos. The river forms the western border with Thailand and Burma and is vital for agriculture, fishing, and transportation. Small tributaries flow from the mountains in northern and eastern Laos and join the Mekong in its course towards the South China Sea.

Natural Resources: Mineral deposits found in Laos include iron ore, limestone, tin, gypsum, potash, coal, lead, zinc, gold, silver, and precious gems. Timber is, however, the most widely exploited resource, though there have been efforts to curtail the rapid deforestation that has been occurring by concentrating on other economic targets. One target has been to increase hydropower production by expanding the number of dams on the Mekong River.

The country's developing economy and growing population are placing stress on plant and animal populations. Illegal logging and poor agricultural management, including slash-and-burn methods, have reduced the forests considerably and led to soil erosion. In addition to losing their habitats, wild animals are hunted for food, medicine, and labor.

Another major environmental problem is the huge amount of unexploded ordnance from aerial bombardments that took place during the Second Indochina War. The ordnance has been responsible for numerous deaths and injuries, and the government has not yet effectively dealt with the problem. It has been estimated that between 1964 and 1973, the United States military bombarded Laos with more than 2 million tons of ordnance.

Plants & Animals: Laos is rich in plant and animal life, and the government has established several Biodiversity Conservation Areas designed to protect their populations. Tree species include ironwood, teak, pine, mahogany, rosewood, and bamboo.

Elephants, monkeys, leopards, pandas, rhinoceroses, anteaters, venomous snakes, leopards, black bears, wild pigs, and tigers are found in Laos. There are also numerous bird and rodent species. The Javan and Sumatran rhinoceroses are listed as critically endangered, while the Asian elephant, the red panda, the tiger, and several monkey species are listed as endangered.

Climate: Monsoons dictate Laos’s distinct tropical seasons: the rainy period from May to October, the cool, dry period from November to February, and the hot, dry period of March and April. Temperature and average annual rainfall vary according to elevation.

The highest temperatures occur in the lowlands, which average 40° Celsius (104° Fahrenheit) in April. The lowest temperatures occur in the mountains, which average 5° Celsius (41° Fahrenheit) in January. Average annual rainfall is 178 centimeters (about 70 inches), but is significantly higher in the southern lowland areas.

The rainy season usually commences at the same time throughout the country, but it can be delayed. In some years, regional droughts affect the harvest. In other years, high levels of precipitation cause the Mekong River to flood.

Like other countries, Laos, experts maintained, also faced climate change complications such as increased temperatures, drought, and flooding.

Economy

Laos’s economy has improved since the government began implementing market reforms and allowing international investment. Though it still relies on foreign aid and experienced the setbacks that struck the region in the late 1990s, it has made significant improvement from a very low base.

The estimated gross domestic product (GDP; purchasing power parity) in 2023 was $64.173 billion, with an estimated per capita GDP of US$8,400. An estimated 18.3 percent of the population lived below the poverty line in 2018. In 2023, the country had an estimated labor force of 3.174 million; the estimated unemployment rate was 1.18 percent as of 2023.

Industry: The industry sector is small but has been developing. Major products include building materials, clothing, rubber, and cement. The country also has the capacity to mill timber and process agricultural products.

The potential for mining minerals and gems has not yet been fully exploited, while hydroelectricity is one of its most valuable exports.

Agriculture: Agriculture has long been the main occupation of Laotians. Major crops include sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice, and cassava. The rivers are widely exploited for fish, but the catch is consumed domestically. Water buffalo, cattle, pigs, and poultry are also raised by Laotian farmers. Buffalo and oxen are used for labor.

Tourism: Since Laos became open to tourists, the industry has grown quickly and the infrastructure is developing. Tourism became the country’s single most important industry for earning foreign currency. In 2022, travel and tourism, in total, contributed about 4.3 percent of the GDP, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.

Laos is noteworthy for its natural beauty, its Buddhist architecture, and the largely undisturbed customs of its people. Vientiane is known for its French colonial architecture and That Luang, the country’s most important Buddhist stupa (a religious monument), dating from the sixteenth century. Luang Prabang is a small city known for its ancient temples and the Royal Palace Museum. The Plain of Jars is an important archaeological site boasting large stone jars of unknown purpose and origin.

Government

Though there have been significant reforms over the last decades, they have been concentrated in the economic and not the political sphere. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic remains a communist country, governed by the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP), despite parliamentary elections and a new constitution. The government controls the country’s media outlets, and dissent from the official line is not allowed.

According to the 1991 constitution, the executive branch consists of a president, a vice president, a prime minister, and a cabinet called the Council of Ministers. The president and vice president are elected by the legislature to a five-year term. The prime minister is nominated by the president and elected by the legislature to a five-year term, while the Council of Ministers are appointed by the president pending legislative approval. The president has the power to dismiss the prime minister and the cabinet.

The National Assembly (Sapha Heng Xat) forms the legislative branch. It normally meets twice a year and consists of 164 members who are elected to five-year terms from lists of candidates provided by the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party. In addition to approving the executive branch and making judicial appointments, its responsibilities include making constitutional amendments, approving the budget and international treaties, and setting taxes.

Judicial power is concentrated in the People’s Supreme Court, the highest court in Laos, as well as in provincial, municipal, district, and military courts. The legal system is still developing and as such does not yet have full independence.

Laos consists of seventeen provinces and the capital city of Vientiane. People’s Committees are responsible for overseeing the provinces as well as towns and villages. They are closely overseen by the central government.

The Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) is the sole legal party in Laos. It holds the overwhelming majority of the seats in the National Assembly, with the few remaining seats held by independents. All non-communist parties are forbidden, and some opposition leaders have been imprisoned for political reasons.

Interesting Facts

• Some Laotian monks take a vow of silence and therefore do not speak.
• In 2015, President Barack Obama became the first US president to visit Laos.
• Laos opened its first baseball stadium in 2019.
• In December 2021, Laos opened a 400-km railway line between its capital, Vientiane, and the Chinese border.
• The convenience store chain 7-Eleven opened its first Laos location in 2023.

Bibliography

Bray, Adam, et al. Laos and Cambodia. Insight Guides, 2013.

Human Development Report. United Nations Development Programme, 13th March 2024, hdr.undp.org/data-center/country-insights#/. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.

"Laos." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 20 Dec. 2024, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/laos/. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.

Laos: 2023 Annual Research: Key Highlights. World Travel and Tourism Council, 2023, assets-global.website-files.com/6329bc97af73223b575983ac/645a6483544e5563315ce540‗Laos2023‗.pdf. Accessed 7 Nov. 2023.

Michaud, Jean, and Tim Forsyth, editors. Moving Mountains: Ethnicity and Livelihoods in Highland China, Vietnam, and Laos. UBC P, 2011.