Economy of Laos
This article needs to be updated. (January 2024) |
The economy of Laos is a lower-middle income developing economy. Being one of the socialist states (along with China, Cuba, Vietnam, and North Korea), the Lao economic model resembles the Chinese socialist market and/or Vietnamese socialist-oriented market economies by combining high degrees of state ownership with openness to foreign direct investment and private ownership in a predominantly market-based framework.[18][19]
| Currency | Lao Kip (LAK, ₭) |
|---|---|
| 1 October – 30 September | |
Trade organizations | |
Country group |
|
| Statistics | |
| Population | 7,425,057 (2021)[3] |
| GDP | |
| GDP rank | |
GDP growth |
|
GDP per capita | |
GDP per capita rank | |
GDP by sector |
|
| 40.3% (Jan 2023 est.)[6] | |
Population below poverty line | |
| 36.4 medium (2012)[9] | |
Labor force | |
Labor force by occupation |
|
| Unemployment | 9.4% (2017)[14] |
Main industries | Copper, tin, gold, and gypsum mining; timber, electric power, agricultural processing, rubber construction, garments, cement and tourism |
| External | |
| Exports | $3.654 billion (2017 est.)[7] |
Export goods | wood products, electricity, coffee, tin, copper, gold and cassava |
Main export partners | |
| Imports | $4.976 billion (2017 est.)[7] |
Import goods | machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods |
Main import partners | |
FDI stock | $15.14 billion (31 December 2012 est.)[7] |
| −$2.057 billion (2017 est.)[7] | |
Gross external debt | $17.16 billion (2020 est)[17] |
| Public finances | |
| 63.6% of GDP (2017 est.)[7] | |
| −5.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)[7] | |
| Revenues | 3.099 billion (2017 est.)[7] |
| Expenses | 4.038 billion (2017 est.)[7] |
| Economic aid | $0.4 billion (1999 est.) |
| $1.27 billion (31 December 2017 est.)[7] | |
Following independence, Laos established a Soviet-type planned economy. As part of economic restructuring that aimed to integrate Laos into the globalized world market, the country underwent reforms called the "New Economic Mechanism" in 1986 that decentralized government control and encouraged private enterprise alongside state-owned enterprises.[20] As of 2007, Laos ranked among the fastest-growing economies in the world, averaging 8% a year in GDP growth.[21] It was forecast that Laos would sustain at least 7% growth through 2019.[22]
The key goals for the government included pursuing poverty reduction and education for all children, with an initiative to become a "land-linked" country. This was showcased through the construction of the nearly $6 billion high-speed rail from Kunming, China to Vientiane, Laos. The country opened a stock exchange, the Lao Securities Exchange, in 2011, and has become a rising regional player in its role as a hydroelectric power supplier to its neighbors China, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Lao economy relies largely on Foreign direct investment to attract capital from overseas. The long-term goal of the Lao economy, as enshrined in the constitution, is economic development in the direction of socialism.[23]
Despite rapid growth, Laos remains one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia.[24][25] A landlocked country, it has inadequate infrastructure and a largely unskilled work force. Nonetheless, Laos continues to attract foreign investment as it integrates with the broader ASEAN economic community, due to its plentiful, young workforce, and favorable tax environment.
Laos has significant hydropower resources; the country also has large potential for small-scale hydro- and solar power.[26] Excess electricity from hydropower is exported to other countries. Despite this, the country continues to also rely on coal in its electricity production.[27]
Economic history edit
This section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2019) |
With the overthrow of the Laotian monarchy in 1975, the Pathet Lao's communist government instituted a planned economy of the Soviet-style command economy system, replacing the private sector with state enterprises and cooperatives; centralizing investment, production, trade, and pricing; and creating barriers to internal and foreign trade.
Seizure of power by the Communists also resulted in the withdrawal of mainly American external investment, on which the country had become greatly dependent as a result of the destruction of domestic capital during the Indochina Wars.[28]
This changed in 1986 when the government announced its "new economic mechanism" (NEM). Initially timid, the NEM was expanded to include a range of reforms designed to create conditions conducive to private sector activity. Prices set by market forces replaced government-determined prices. Farmers were permitted to own land and sell crops on the open market. State firms were granted increased decision-making authority and lost most of their subsidies and pricing advantages. The government set the exchange rate close to real market levels, lifted trade barriers, replaced import barriers with tariffs, and gave private sector firms direct access to imports and credit.
With the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, in 1991, the PDR Lao government reached an agreement with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund on additional reforms. The government agreed to introduce fiscal and monetary reform, promote private enterprise and foreign investment, privatize or close state firms, and strengthen banking. It also agreed to maintain a market exchange rate, reduce tariffs, and eliminate unneeded trade regulations. A liberal foreign investment code was also enacted. Enforcement of intellectual property rights is governed by two Prime Minister's Decrees dating from 1995 and 2002.[29]
In an attempt to stimulate further international commerce, the PDR Lao government accepted Australian aid to build a bridge across the Mekong River to Thailand. The "Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge", between Vientiane Prefecture and Nong Khai Province, Thailand, was inaugurated in April 1994. Although the bridge has created additional commerce, the Lao government does not yet permit a completely free flow of traffic across the span.
These reforms led to economic growth and an increased availability of goods. However, the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, coupled with the Lao government's own mismanagement of the economy, resulted in spiraling inflation and a steep depreciation of the kip, which lost 87% of its value from June 1997 to June 1999. Tighter monetary policies brought about greater macroeconomic stability in FY 2000, and monthly inflation, which had averaged about 10% during the first half of FY 1999, dropped to an average 1% over the same period in FY 2000.
In FY 1999, foreign grants and loans accounted for more than 20% of GDP and more than 75% of public investment.
The economy continues to be dominated by an unproductive agricultural sector operating largely outside the money economy and in which the public sector continues to play a dominant role. Still, a number of private enterprises have been founded in industries such as , beer, coffee and tourism. With United Nations, Japanese, and German support, a formerly state-controlled chamber of commerce aims to promote private business: the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and its provincial subdivisions.[30]
The latest round of state-owned enterprise reform in 2019 aims to ensure that the remaining SOEs become profitable ventures that are efficient and sustainable sources of income for the national treasury. These measures include closing unproductive enterprises, ensure businesses in which the state has investments are reformed into profitable ventures, and reduce corruption. As of 2019, the State-Owned Enterprise Development and Insurance Department of the Lao government has 183 enterprises under its supervision.[31]
Laos faced an economic crisis in 2022. Caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and external debt primarily from China, it escalated into massive inflation and a debt crisis, bringing the country to the brink of default.[32] As of late 2023, the country is still facing significant economic problems. A World Bank report finds that the economic instability "largely results from low revenue and accumulated debt. There is moreover a need to improve the efficiency of public expenditure and tackle the potential costs of state-owned enterprises and public-private partnerships.” The Lao kip currency value has fallen and inflation remains higher than before the pandemic. The same World Bank report states that "the main factor in the kip’s falling value has been the lack of foreign currency available (...) a result of the need to repay large external debts, despite some deferrals, and limited capital inflows." The per capita GDP of Laos has gone down from $2,595 in 2021 to $1,824 in 2023 because of the kip’s depreciation.[33][34][35]
Agriculture edit
Agriculture, mostly subsistence rice farming, dominates the economy, employing an estimated 85% of the population and producing 51% of GDP. Domestic savings are low, forcing Laos to rely heavily on foreign assistance and concessional loans as investment sources for economic development.
Agricultural products include sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry.
In mid-2012, the Laos government issued a four-year moratorium for new mining projects. The reasons cited were environmental and social concerns relating to the use of agricultural land.[36]
In 2019 Laos produced:[37]
- 3.4 million tons of rice;
- 3.1 million tons of roots and tubers;
- 2.2 million tons of cassava;
- 1.9 million tons of sugarcane;
- 1.5 million tons of vegetable;
- 1.0 million tons of banana;
- 717 thousand tons of maize;
- 196 thousand tons of watermelon;
- 165 thousand tons of coffee;
- 154 thousand tons of taro;
- 114 thousand tons of sweet potato;
- 56 thousand tons of tobacco;
- 53 thousand tons of peanut;
- 46 thousand tons of orange;
- 43 thousand tons of pineapple;
- 23 thousand tons of papaya;
- 8.6 thousand tons of tea;
In addition to smaller productions of other agricultural products.[37]
Tourism edit
As of 2011, tourism was the fastest-growing industry and played a vital role in the Lao economy. The government opened Laos to the world in the 1990s, and the country has since become a popular destination for travelers.[38]
Other statistics edit
GDP: purchasing power parity – $14.2 billion (2009 est.)
Exchange rate – kip (LAK) per US dollar – 8,556.56 (2009), 8,760.69 (2008), 9,658 (2007), 10,235 (2006), 10,820 (2005)
- Oil – production:
- 0 bbl/d (2009 est.)
- Oil – consumption:
- 3,000 bbl/d (480 m3/d) (2009 est.)
- Oil – exports:
- 0 bbl/d (2007 est.)
- Oil – imports:
- 3,080 bbl/d (490 m3/d) (2007 est.)
Of the total foreign investment in Laos in 2012, the mining industry got 27% followed by electricity generation which had a 25% share.[36]
References edit
- ^ "World Economic Outlook Database, April 2019". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ "World Bank Country and Lending Groups". datahelpdesk.worldbank.org. World Bank. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ "Population, total - Laos". Retrieved 24 December 2022.
- ^ a b "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ Global Economic Prospects, June 2020. World Bank. 8 June 2020. p. 74. doi:10.1596/978-1-4648-1553-9. ISBN 978-1-4648-1553-9. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help) - ^ a b c "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "The World Factbook". CIA.gov. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ "Poverty headcount ratio at $3.20 a day (2011 PPP) (% of population)". data.worldbank.org. World Bank. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
- ^ "GINI index (World Bank estimate)". data.worldbank.org. World Bank. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ "Human Development Index (HDI)". hdr.undp.org. HDRO (Human Development Report Office) United Nations Development Programme. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
- ^ "Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI)". hdr.undp.org. HDRO (Human Development Report Office) United Nations Development Programme. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
- ^ "Labor force, total - Lao PDR". data.worldbank.org. World Bank. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate)". data.worldbank.org. World Bank. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
- ^ "Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) – Lao PDR". openknowledge.worldbank.org. World Bank. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "Export Partners of Laos". The Observatory of Economic Complexity. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- ^ "Import Partners of Laos". The Observatory of Economic Complexity. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- ^ "World Bank". datatopics.worldbank.org. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
- ^ "Laos - Market Overview". Export.gov. 15 July 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
Laos is one of the world's five remaining communist countries. The Lao economic model bears some resemblance to its Chinese and Vietnamese counterparts, in that it has implemented market-based economic practices while maintaining a high degree of state control and welcoming foreign direct investment (FDI). Laos is politically stable.
- ^ "Chapter II: The Socio-Economic Regime" (PDF). Constitute. 2003. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
All types of enterprises are equal before the laws and operate according to the principle of the market economy, competing and cooperating with each other to expand production and business while regulated by the State in the direction of socialism.
- ^ "Laos".
- ^ . www.cia.gov. Archived from the original on 13 June 2007. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
- ^ "Bloomberg Briefs". newsletters.briefs.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
- ^ "Preamble" (PDF). Constitute. 2003. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
During [the years] since the country has been liberated, our people have together been implementing the two strategic tasks of defending and building the country, especially the undertaking of reforms in order to mobilise the resources in the nation to preserve the people's democratic regime and create conditions to move towards socialism.
- ^ Philip, Bruno (6 November 2012). "Laos, south-east Asia's new emerging economy". The Guardian. London.
- ^ Oliver, Chris. "Laos marks first-day trade in new exchange". MarketWatch. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- ^ Vakulchuk, Roman; Kresnawan, Muhammad Rizki; Merdekawati, Monika; Overland, Indra; Sagbakken, Haakon Fossum; Suryadi, Beni; Yurnaidi, Zulfikar (2020). "Lao PDR: How to Attract More Investment in Small-Scale Renewable Energy?". doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.31192.72966.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Overland, Indra; Sagbakken, Haakon Fossum; Chan, Hoy-Yen; Merdekawati, Monika; Suryadi, Beni; Utama, Nuki Agya; Vakulchuk, Roman (December 2021). "The ASEAN climate and energy paradox". Energy and Climate Change. 2: 100019. doi:10.1016/j.egycc.2020.100019. hdl:11250/2734506.
- ^ Baten, Jörg (2016). A History of the Global Economy. From 1500 to the Present. Cambridge University Press. p. 297. ISBN 9781107507180.
- ^
- ^ 8km.de, LNCCI
- ^ . Asia News Network. 8 January 2019. Archived from the original on 4 August 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- ^ "Laos economic crisis intensifies amid massive debt – DW – 08/09/2022". dw.com. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
- ^ "Lao Economic Monitor, November 2023: Fiscal Policy for Stability - Key Findings". World Bank. November 2023. Archived from the original on 21 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "Laos' Economic Woes Will Continue In 2024". The Diplomat. 18 December 2023. Archived from the original on 21 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "'I feel hopeless': Living in Laos on the brink". 8 October 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Vietnam leads investment in Laos". Investvine.com. 26 February 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
- ^ a b Lao production in 2019, by FAO
- ^ Slade, Maria (9 January 2011). "Stray-ing into Laos". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
External links edit
- Rice Biodiversity in Lao PDR