Laos: Foreign Direct Investment, percent of GDP

* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
 Laos

Foreign Direct Investment, percent of GDP

 Latest value 10.53
 Year 2023
 Measure percent
 Data availability 1984 - 2023
 Average 3.80
 Min - Max -0.07 - 10.53
 Source The World Bank
The latest value from 2023 is 10.53 percent, an increase from 4.11 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 3.16 percent, based on data from 173 countries. Historically, the average for Laos from 1984 to 2023 is 3.8 percent. The minimum value, -0.07 percent, was reached in 1985 while the maximum of 10.53 percent was recorded in 2023. See the global rankings for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.
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* indicates monthly or quarterly data series


Recent data
Laos - Foreign Direct Investment, percent of GDP - Recent values chart

Historical series
Laos - Foreign Direct Investment, percent of GDP - historical chart - 1984-2023




Foreign direct investment in Laos and other countries reflects the foreign ownership of production facilities. To be classified as foreign direct investment, the share of the foreign ownership has to be equal to at least 10 percent of the value of the company. The investment could be in manufacturing, services, agriculture, or other sectors. It could have originated as green field investment (building something new), as acquisition (buying an existing company) or joint venture (partnership).

FDI is reported on an annual basis, i.e. how much new investment was received in the country during the current year. It typically runs at about 2-3 percent of the size of the economy measured by its gross domestic product. If a country routinely receives FDI that exceeds 5-6% of GDP each year, then this is a significant success.
Definition: Foreign direct investment are the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest (10 percent or more of voting stock) in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown in the balance of payments. This series shows net inflows (new investment inflows less disinvestment) in the reporting economy from foreign investors, and is divided by GDP.

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 Related indicators Latest Reference Measure
 Terms of trade 169.69 2021 percent
 Trade openness 75.09 2016 percent
 Financial openness -1.242 2021 index points
 Exports, percent of GDP 33.21 2016 percent
 Exports, billion dollars 5.28 2016 billion U.S. dollars
 Growth of exports 10.46 2016 percent
 Imports, percent of GDP 41.88 2016 percent
 Imports, billion dollars 6.66 2016 billion U.S. dollars
 Foreign Direct Investment, percent of GDP 10.53 2023 percent
 Foreign Direct Investment, billion dollars 0.64 2022 billion U.S. dollars
 Portfolio investment inflows, equities 0.14 2022 million dollars (current)
 Current account, percent of GDP 1.20 2023 percent
 Current account, in dollars -0.01 2022 billion U.S. dollars
 Trade balance, percent of GDP -8.67 2016 percent
 Trade balance, in dollars 0.83 2022 billion U.S. dollars
 Reserves 1.77 2023 billion U.S. dollars
 Remittances, percent of GDP 1.42 2023 percent
 Remittances 225.00 2023 million U.S. dollars
 Net errors and omissions -438.27 2022 million USD
 External debt 130.74 2022 percent
 Short-term external debt 4.01 2022 percent
 Short-term debt to reserves 61.68 2022 percent
 Foreign exchange reserves 1.86 3/2024 billion
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