Human Development Index in Laos
Laos: Human Development Index was 0.617 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Human Development Index in Laos, 1990–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, human development index in Laos stood at 0.617. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, human development index in Laos peaked at 0.617 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.409, in 1990.
That places Laos 147th out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.4375 | 0.409 | 0.469 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.5084 | 0.473 | 0.548 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.5937 | 0.556 | 0.615 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.615 | 0.613 | 0.617 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Laos
More reference data data for Laos
- Number of child deaths per woman 0.0687 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 2.42 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 2.42 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 2.42 live births per woman (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate -0.7424 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 44.19 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate -1.47 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 31.1 0-100 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance score 75.42 0-100 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance estimate 0.5577 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is human development index in Laos?
- Human development index in Laos was 0.617 in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest human development index recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 0.617 in 2023.
- What is the lowest human development index recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.409 in 1990.
- How does Laos rank for human development index?
- Laos ranks 147th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is human development index rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Human Development Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, a good education, and a decent standard of living. Higher values indicate higher human development.