Democracy Index in Laos
Laos: Democracy Index was -7 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Democracy Index in Laos, 1953–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for democracy index in Laos is -7, measured in 2018. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Laos peaked at 5 in 1958 and was at its lowest, -7, in 1975.
That places Laos 150th out of 168 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Democracy Index in Laos, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1953 | 4 | — |
| 1954 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 5 | +25.0% |
| 1959 | -4 | -180.0% |
| 1960 | -4 | -0.0% |
| 1961 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1962 | 0 | — |
| 1963 | 0 | — |
| 1964 | 0 | — |
| 1965 | 0 | — |
| 1966 | 0 | — |
| 1967 | 0 | — |
| 1968 | 0 | — |
| 1969 | 0 | — |
| 1970 | 0 | — |
| 1971 | 0 | — |
| 1972 | 0 | — |
| 1973 | 0 | — |
| 1974 | -3 | — |
| 1975 | -7 | +133.3% |
| 1976 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1977 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1978 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1979 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1980 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1981 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1982 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1983 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1984 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1985 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1987 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1988 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1989 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1990 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1991 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1992 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2011 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2015 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | -7 | -0.0% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's -7 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5. (43 countries reporting)
- Laos's -7 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 7.5. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3 | -4 | 5 | 7 |
| 1960s | -0.4 | -4 | 0 | 10 |
| 1970s | -3.8 | -7 | 0 | 10 |
| 1980s | -7 | -7 | -7 | 10 |
| 1990s | -7 | -7 | -7 | 10 |
| 2000s | -7 | -7 | -7 | 10 |
| 2010s | -7 | -7 | -7 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Laos
More social development data for Laos
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 80 (1987)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 6,489 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0008 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 6,489 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (1987)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of -4.76 % change on previous year (1984)
Frequently asked questions
- What is democracy index in Laos?
- Democracy index in Laos was -7 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest democracy index recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 5 in 1958.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was -7 in 1975.
- How does Laos rank for democracy index?
- Laos ranks 150th out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
It combines information on the extent to which open, multi-party, and competitive elections choose a chief executive who faces comprehensive institutional constraints, and political participation is competitive. It ranges from -10 to 10 (fully democratic).