Happiness vs. life satisfaction in Laos
Laos: Happiness vs. life satisfaction was 5.51 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Happiness vs. life satisfaction in Laos, 2011–2025
Source: Wellbeing Research Centre (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Laos recorded 5.51 for happiness vs. life satisfaction in 2025. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.0% on the previous year and up 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, happiness vs. life satisfaction in Laos peaked at 5.51 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 4.62, in 2017.
That places Laos 92nd out of 157 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Happiness vs. life satisfaction in Laos, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 5.16 | — |
| 2012 | 4.79 | -7.2% |
| 2014 | 4.88 | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 4.88 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 4.62 | -5.2% |
| 2018 | 4.8 | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 4.89 | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 5.03 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 5.14 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 5.11 | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 5.14 | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 5.3 | +3.2% |
| 2025 | 5.51 | +4.0% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 5.51 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.63, 1.2× the median. (40 countries reporting)
- Laos's 5.51 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 6.06, 91% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 4.86 | 4.62 | 5.16 | 7 |
| 2020s | 5.21 | 5.03 | 5.51 | 6 |
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 happiness vs. life satisfaction in Laos?
- Happiness vs. life satisfaction in Laos was 5.51 in 2025, according to Wellbeing Research Centre (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest happiness vs. life satisfaction recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 5.51 in 2025.
- What is the lowest happiness vs. life satisfaction recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.62 in 2017.
- How does Laos rank for happiness vs. life satisfaction?
- Laos ranks 92nd out of 157 countries with data for 2025.
- Is happiness vs. life satisfaction rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from Wellbeing Research Centre (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Happiness vs. life satisfaction. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average of survey responses. The survey question asks respondents their current position on a hypothetical ladder, where the best possible life for them is a 10, and the worst possible life is a 0.