Key features of liberal democracy in Laos
Laos: Key features of liberal democracy was 0.11 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Key features of liberal democracy in Laos, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, key features of liberal democracy in Laos stood at 0.11.
The figure is down 6.0% on the previous year and up 23.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, key features of liberal democracy in Laos peaked at 0.164 in 1958 and was at its lowest, 0.059, in 1940.
That places Laos 135th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 126 years of available data.
Key features of liberal democracy in Laos, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 0.065 | — |
| 1901 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1902 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1911 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1912 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.065 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.059 | -9.2% |
| 1941 | 0.061 | +3.4% |
| 1942 | 0.062 | +1.6% |
| 1943 | 0.06 | -3.2% |
| 1944 | 0.063 | +5.0% |
| 1945 | 0.063 | +0.0% |
| 1946 | 0.082 | +30.2% |
| 1947 | 0.104 | +26.8% |
| 1948 | 0.128 | +23.1% |
| 1949 | 0.127 | -0.8% |
| 1950 | 0.125 | -1.6% |
| 1951 | 0.129 | +3.2% |
| 1952 | 0.13 | +0.8% |
| 1953 | 0.128 | -1.5% |
| 1954 | 0.127 | -0.8% |
| 1955 | 0.13 | +2.4% |
| 1956 | 0.13 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 0.147 | +13.1% |
| 1958 | 0.164 | +11.6% |
| 1959 | 0.158 | -3.7% |
| 1960 | 0.145 | -8.2% |
| 1961 | 0.124 | -14.5% |
| 1962 | 0.124 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.124 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.124 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.11 | -11.3% |
| 1966 | 0.111 | +0.9% |
| 1967 | 0.13 | +17.1% |
| 1968 | 0.13 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.13 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.13 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 0.13 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.129 | -0.8% |
| 1973 | 0.129 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 0.128 | -0.8% |
| 1975 | 0.073 | -43.0% |
| 1976 | 0.068 | -6.8% |
| 1977 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.071 | +4.4% |
| 1987 | 0.071 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.071 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.091 | +28.2% |
| 1990 | 0.092 | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 0.087 | -5.4% |
| 1992 | 0.083 | -4.6% |
| 1993 | 0.087 | +4.8% |
| 1994 | 0.086 | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 0.087 | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 0.087 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.087 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.087 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.088 | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 0.088 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.088 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.089 | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 0.089 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.089 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.089 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.088 | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 0.088 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.088 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.088 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.089 | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 0.089 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.089 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.09 | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 0.09 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.089 | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 0.088 | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 0.093 | +5.7% |
| 2018 | 0.09 | -3.2% |
| 2019 | 0.109 | +21.1% |
| 2020 | 0.094 | -13.8% |
| 2021 | 0.104 | +10.6% |
| 2022 | 0.113 | +8.7% |
| 2023 | 0.106 | -6.2% |
| 2024 | 0.117 | +10.4% |
| 2025 | 0.11 | -6.0% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 0.11 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.203, 54% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Laos's 0.11 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.3575, 31% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.065 | 0.065 | 0.065 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.065 | 0.065 | 0.065 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.065 | 0.065 | 0.065 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.065 | 0.065 | 0.065 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.0809 | 0.059 | 0.128 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.1368 | 0.125 | 0.164 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.1252 | 0.11 | 0.145 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.0991 | 0.068 | 0.13 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.0712 | 0.068 | 0.091 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0871 | 0.083 | 0.092 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0884 | 0.088 | 0.089 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0916 | 0.088 | 0.109 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1073 | 0.094 | 0.117 | 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 key features of liberal democracy in Laos?
- Key features of liberal democracy in Laos was 0.11 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest key features of liberal democracy recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 0.164 in 1958.
- What is the lowest key features of liberal democracy recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.059 in 1940.
- How does Laos rank for key features of liberal democracy?
- Laos ranks 135th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key features of liberal democracy rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Key features of liberal democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Central estimate of the extent of suffrage, the freedom and fairness of elections, freedoms of association and expression, individual and minority rights, equality before the law, and executive constraints.