Laos vs Vietnam: Key features of democracy
Laos
0.135
in 2025
Vietnam
0.146
in 2025
Laos rank
160th
Vietnam rank
157th
Key features of democracy over time
- Laos
- Vietnam
How they compare
Vietnam currently reports 0.146 against 0.135 in Laos, a difference of 0.011.
That makes Vietnam's figure about 1.1 times Laos's.
Across all 50 years both countries report, Vietnam has been ahead every year.
Laos ranks 160th and Vietnam ranks 157th of 176 countries.
Vietnam has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Laos | Vietnam | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.069 | 0.1805 | 0.1115 | Vietnam |
| 1980s | 0.0736 | 0.1514 | 0.0778 | Vietnam |
| 1990s | 0.0886 | 0.1524 | 0.0638 | Vietnam |
| 2000s | 0.0893 | 0.1486 | 0.0593 | Vietnam |
| 2010s | 0.1013 | 0.1561 | 0.0548 | Vietnam |
| 2020s | 0.1328 | 0.1642 | 0.0313 | Vietnam |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher key features of democracy, Laos or Vietnam?
- Vietnam, at 0.146 against 0.135 in Laos as of 2025.
- What is the difference in key features of democracy between Laos and Vietnam?
- 0.011, with Vietnam ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Laos and Vietnam?
- 50 years are reported by both, from 1976 to 2025.
- How do Laos and Vietnam rank globally for key features of democracy?
- Laos ranks 160th and Vietnam ranks 157th of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Key features of democracy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Central estimate of the extent to which political leaders are elected under comprehensive suffrage in free and fair elections, and freedoms of association and expression are guaranteed.