Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Laos
Laos: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) was 1.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Laos, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Laos is 1.2%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 1.1% on the previous year and down 40.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Laos peaked at 3.3% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 2010.
Laos ranks 180th of 187 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Laos, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.5% | — |
| 1992 | 2.7% | +8.5% |
| 1993 | 2.7% | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 2.6% | -3.6% |
| 1995 | 2.6% | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 2.5% | -5.8% |
| 1997 | 2.4% | -3.9% |
| 1998 | 2.3% | -2.6% |
| 1999 | 2.2% | -6.1% |
| 2000 | 2.0% | -5.1% |
| 2001 | 1.9% | -8.0% |
| 2002 | 1.8% | -5.6% |
| 2003 | 1.6% | -7.7% |
| 2004 | 1.5% | -8.6% |
| 2005 | 1.4% | -9.9% |
| 2006 | 1.2% | -11.2% |
| 2007 | 1.1% | -10.9% |
| 2008 | 0.9% | -11.6% |
| 2009 | 0.8% | -11.5% |
| 2010 | 0.7% | -15.2% |
| 2011 | 1.0% | +35.6% |
| 2012 | 1.2% | +25.8% |
| 2013 | 1.5% | +21.6% |
| 2014 | 1.7% | +18.0% |
| 2015 | 2.0% | +15.8% |
| 2016 | 2.6% | +31.3% |
| 2017 | 3.3% | +24.1% |
| 2018 | 2.9% | -11.4% |
| 2019 | 2.5% | -12.6% |
| 2020 | 2.3% | -7.2% |
| 2021 | 2.1% | -11.5% |
| 2022 | 1.2% | -41.9% |
| 2023 | 1.2% | -1.9% |
| 2024 | 1.2% | -1.0% |
| 2025 | 1.2% | +1.1% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 1.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.1%, 23% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Laos's 1.2% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.0%, 39% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.5% | 2.2% | 2.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 1.4% | 0.8% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.9% | 0.7% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.5% | 1.2% | 2.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Laos
More education data for Laos
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 35,584 (2022)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 16,396 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 116,303 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 115,863 (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 532,092 (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 739,554 (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.0716 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0939 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Laos?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Laos was 1.2% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 3.3% in 2017.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 2010.
- How does Laos rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Laos ranks 180th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 40.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.