Laos: Investment freedom

The latest value from 2025 is 35 points, unchanged from 35 points in 2024. In comparison, the world average is 54 points, based on data from 175 countries. Historically, the average for Laos from 1996 to 2025 is 27 points. The minimum value, 10 points, was reached in 1996 while the maximum of 35 points was recorded in 2014. See the global rankings or world map for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.

The Investment Freedom index for Laos from The Heritage Foundation measures the restrictions to investment activity both within the country and across borders. A higher score means fewer restrictions.

Definition: The Investment freedom index evaluates a variety of investment restrictions (burdensome bureaucracy, restrictions on land ownership, expropriation of investments without fair compensation, foreign exchange controls, capital control, security problems, a lack of basic investment infrastructure, etc.). Points are deducted from the ideal score of 100 for each of the restrictions found in a country’s investment regime.