Foreign direct investment, net in Laos
Laos: Foreign direct investment, net was -988.46 million BoP, current US$ in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net in Laos, 1988–2024
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in BoP, current US$.
Analysis
Laos recorded -988.46 million BoP, current US$ for foreign direct investment, net in 2024.
That represents a change of up 44.5% on the previous year and down 14.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net in Laos peaked at -2.00 million BoP, current US$ in 1988 and was at its lowest, -1.78 billion BoP, current US$, in 2023.
Laos ranks 125th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | -3.00 million BoP, current US$ | -4.00 million BoP, current US$ | -2.00 million BoP, current US$ | 2 |
| 1990s | -58.05 million BoP, current US$ | -159.80 million BoP, current US$ | -6.00 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | -118.36 million BoP, current US$ | -323.52 million BoP, current US$ | -4.45 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | -853.30 million BoP, current US$ | -1.68 billion BoP, current US$ | -278.81 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | -1.11 billion BoP, current US$ | -1.78 billion BoP, current US$ | -726.27 million BoP, current US$ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Laos
- 122 Mali -842.97 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 123 Paraguay -944.77 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 124 Guatemala -982.79 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 126 Angola -1.02 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 127 Algeria -1.23 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 128 Nicaragua -1.28 billion BoP, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for Laos
- Industry (including construction), value added 109.15 trillion current LCU (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure 3.7% (2016)
- Industry (including construction), value added 4.8% (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure 79.7% (2016)
- Industry (including construction), value added 7.33 billion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Gross national expenditure 17.29 billion current US$ (2016)
- Gross national expenditure 140.49 trillion current LCU (2016)
- Gross national expenditure 17.78 billion constant 2015 US$ (2016)
- Industry (including construction), value added 5.34 billion current US$ (2025)
- Exports of goods and services 10.5% (2016)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net in Laos?
- Foreign direct investment, net in Laos was -988.46 million BoP, current US$ in 2024, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was -2.00 million BoP, current US$ in 1988.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.78 billion BoP, current US$ in 2023.
- How does Laos rank for foreign direct investment, net?
- Laos ranks 125th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is foreign direct investment, net rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Foreign direct investment, net (BoP, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Foreign direct investment is a category of cross-border investment associated with a resident in one economy having control or a significant degree of influence on the management of an enterprise that is resident in another economy. Ownership of 10 percent or more of the voting power is evidence of a direct investment relationship. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.