What is varieties of democracy in Laos?

Varieties of democracy in Laos was 0.135 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest varieties of democracy recorded in Laos?

The highest recorded value was 0.313 in 1958.

What is the lowest varieties of democracy recorded in Laos?

The lowest recorded value was 0.022 in 1880.

How does Laos rank for varieties of democracy?

Laos ranks 160th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is varieties of democracy rising or falling in Laos?

Over the last ten years it is up 50.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Laos data come from?

The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Varieties of democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Varieties of democracy in Laos

Name: Varieties of democracy in Laos
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Laos: Varieties of democracy was 0.135 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.135

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

160th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.313

in 1958

All-time low

0.022

in 1880

Years of data

230

1789–2025

Varieties of democracy in Laos, 1789–2025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for varieties of democracy in Laos is 0.135, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 50.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, varieties of democracy in Laos peaked at 0.313 in 1958 and was at its lowest, 0.022, in 1880.

That places Laos 160th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Varieties of democracy in Laos, year by year

Annual values for Varieties of democracy in Laos, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.025	—
1790	0.025	+0.0%
1791	0.025	+0.0%
1792	0.025	+0.0%
1793	0.025	+0.0%
1794	0.025	+0.0%
1795	0.025	+0.0%
1796	0.025	+0.0%
1797	0.025	+0.0%
1798	0.025	+0.0%
1799	0.025	+0.0%
1800	0.025	+0.0%
1801	0.025	+0.0%
1802	0.025	+0.0%
1803	0.025	+0.0%
1804	0.025	+0.0%
1805	0.025	+0.0%
1806	0.025	+0.0%
1807	0.025	+0.0%
1808	0.025	+0.0%
1809	0.025	+0.0%
1810	0.025	+0.0%
1811	0.025	+0.0%
1812	0.025	+0.0%
1813	0.025	+0.0%
1814	0.025	+0.0%
1815	0.025	+0.0%
1816	0.025	+0.0%
1817	0.025	+0.0%
1818	0.025	+0.0%
1819	0.025	+0.0%
1820	0.025	+0.0%
1821	0.025	+0.0%
1822	0.025	+0.0%
1823	0.025	+0.0%
1824	0.025	+0.0%
1825	0.025	+0.0%
1826	0.025	+0.0%
1827	0.025	+0.0%
1828	0.025	+0.0%
1829	0.025	+0.0%
1830	0.026	+4.0%
1831	0.026	+0.0%
1832	0.026	+0.0%
1833	0.026	+0.0%
1834	0.026	+0.0%
1835	0.026	+0.0%
1836	0.026	+0.0%
1837	0.026	+0.0%
1838	0.026	+0.0%
1839	0.026	+0.0%
1840	0.026	+0.0%
1841	0.026	+0.0%
1842	0.026	+0.0%
1843	0.026	+0.0%
1844	0.026	+0.0%
1845	0.026	+0.0%
1846	0.026	+0.0%
1847	0.026	+0.0%
1848	0.026	+0.0%
1849	0.026	+0.0%
1850	0.026	+0.0%
1851	0.026	+0.0%
1852	0.026	+0.0%
1853	0.026	+0.0%
1854	0.026	+0.0%
1855	0.026	+0.0%
1856	0.026	+0.0%
1857	0.026	+0.0%
1858	0.026	+0.0%
1859	0.026	+0.0%
1860	0.026	+0.0%
1861	0.026	+0.0%
1862	0.026	+0.0%
1863	0.026	+0.0%
1864	0.026	+0.0%
1865	0.026	+0.0%
1866	0.026	+0.0%
1867	0.026	+0.0%
1868	0.026	+0.0%
1869	0.026	+0.0%
1870	0.026	+0.0%
1871	0.026	+0.0%
1872	0.026	+0.0%
1873	0.026	+0.0%
1874	0.026	+0.0%
1875	0.026	+0.0%
1876	0.026	+0.0%
1877	0.026	+0.0%
1878	0.023	-11.5%
1879	0.023	+0.0%
1880	0.022	-4.3%
1881	0.022	+0.0%
1882	0.022	+0.0%
1883	0.022	+0.0%
1884	0.023	+4.5%
1885	0.023	+0.0%
1886	0.023	+0.0%
1887	0.023	+0.0%
1888	0.023	+0.0%
1889	0.023	+0.0%
1890	0.023	+0.0%
1891	0.023	+0.0%
1892	0.023	+0.0%
1900	0.034	+47.8%
1901	0.035	+2.9%
1902	0.035	+0.0%
1903	0.035	+0.0%
1904	0.035	+0.0%
1905	0.035	+0.0%
1906	0.035	+0.0%
1907	0.035	+0.0%
1908	0.035	+0.0%
1909	0.035	+0.0%
1910	0.035	+0.0%
1911	0.035	+0.0%
1912	0.035	+0.0%
1913	0.035	+0.0%
1914	0.035	+0.0%
1915	0.035	+0.0%
1916	0.035	+0.0%
1917	0.035	+0.0%
1918	0.035	+0.0%
1919	0.035	+0.0%
1920	0.035	+0.0%
1921	0.035	+0.0%
1922	0.035	+0.0%
1923	0.035	+0.0%
1924	0.035	+0.0%
1925	0.035	+0.0%
1926	0.035	+0.0%
1927	0.034	-2.9%
1928	0.034	+0.0%
1929	0.034	+0.0%
1930	0.034	+0.0%
1931	0.034	+0.0%
1932	0.034	+0.0%
1933	0.034	+0.0%
1934	0.034	+0.0%
1935	0.034	+0.0%
1936	0.034	+0.0%
1937	0.034	+0.0%
1938	0.034	+0.0%
1939	0.034	+0.0%
1940	0.035	+2.9%
1941	0.041	+17.1%
1942	0.041	+0.0%
1943	0.04	-2.4%
1944	0.044	+10.0%
1945	0.06	+36.4%
1946	0.104	+73.3%
1947	0.169	+62.5%
1948	0.194	+14.8%
1949	0.194	+0.0%
1950	0.187	-3.6%
1951	0.201	+7.5%
1952	0.203	+1.0%
1953	0.211	+3.9%
1954	0.214	+1.4%
1955	0.231	+7.9%
1956	0.228	-1.3%
1957	0.264	+15.8%
1958	0.313	+18.6%
1959	0.293	-6.4%
1960	0.27	-7.8%
1961	0.215	-20.4%
1962	0.216	+0.5%
1963	0.217	+0.5%
1964	0.219	+0.9%
1965	0.165	-24.7%
1966	0.168	+1.8%
1967	0.238	+41.7%
1968	0.238	+0.0%
1969	0.238	+0.0%
1970	0.238	+0.0%
1971	0.237	-0.4%
1972	0.234	-1.3%
1973	0.235	+0.4%
1974	0.23	-2.1%
1975	0.127	-44.8%
1976	0.069	-45.7%
1977	0.069	+0.0%
1978	0.069	+0.0%
1979	0.069	+0.0%
1980	0.069	+0.0%
1981	0.069	+0.0%
1982	0.069	+0.0%
1983	0.069	+0.0%
1984	0.069	+0.0%
1985	0.069	+0.0%
1986	0.069	+0.0%
1987	0.07	+1.4%
1988	0.07	+0.0%
1989	0.113	+61.4%
1990	0.116	+2.7%
1991	0.085	-26.7%
1992	0.085	+0.0%
1993	0.085	+0.0%
1994	0.085	+0.0%
1995	0.085	+0.0%
1996	0.085	+0.0%
1997	0.086	+1.2%
1998	0.087	+1.2%
1999	0.087	+0.0%
2000	0.087	+0.0%
2001	0.087	+0.0%
2002	0.09	+3.4%
2003	0.09	+0.0%
2004	0.09	+0.0%
2005	0.09	+0.0%
2006	0.09	+0.0%
2007	0.089	-1.1%
2008	0.09	+1.1%
2009	0.09	+0.0%
2010	0.092	+2.2%
2011	0.09	-2.2%
2012	0.09	+0.0%
2013	0.091	+1.1%
2014	0.091	+0.0%
2015	0.09	-1.1%
2016	0.093	+3.3%
2017	0.124	+33.3%
2018	0.125	+0.8%
2019	0.127	+1.6%
2020	0.126	-0.8%
2021	0.135	+7.1%
2022	0.134	-0.7%
2023	0.132	-1.5%
2024	0.135	+2.3%
2025	0.135	+0.0%

Laos compared with similar countries

Laos's 0.135 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.3475, 39% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Laos's 0.135 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.4645, 29% of the median. (22 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.025	0.025	0.025	1
1790s	0.025	0.025	0.025	10
1800s	0.025	0.025	0.025	10
1810s	0.025	0.025	0.025	10
1820s	0.025	0.025	0.025	10
1830s	0.026	0.026	0.026	10
1840s	0.026	0.026	0.026	10
1850s	0.026	0.026	0.026	10
1860s	0.026	0.026	0.026	10
1870s	0.0254	0.023	0.026	10
1880s	0.0226	0.022	0.023	10
1890s	0.023	0.023	0.023	3
1900s	0.0349	0.034	0.035	10
1910s	0.035	0.035	0.035	10
1920s	0.0347	0.034	0.035	10
1930s	0.034	0.034	0.034	10
1940s	0.0922	0.035	0.194	10
1950s	0.2345	0.187	0.313	10
1960s	0.2184	0.165	0.27	10
1970s	0.1577	0.069	0.238	10
1980s	0.0736	0.069	0.113	10
1990s	0.0886	0.085	0.116	10
2000s	0.0893	0.087	0.09	10
2010s	0.1013	0.09	0.127	10
2020s	0.1328	0.126	0.135	6

Countries ranked near Laos

157 Vietnam 0.146 compare
158 Bahrain 0.139 compare
159 Kuwait 0.138 compare
161 Burkina Faso 0.134 compare
162 South Sudan 0.133 compare
163 Sudan 0.13 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

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)

All data for Laos →

Frequently asked questions

What is varieties of democracy in Laos?: Varieties of democracy in Laos was 0.135 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest varieties of democracy recorded in Laos?: The highest recorded value was 0.313 in 1958.
What is the lowest varieties of democracy recorded in Laos?: The lowest recorded value was 0.022 in 1880.
How does Laos rank for varieties of democracy?: Laos ranks 160th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is varieties of democracy rising or falling in Laos?: Over the last ten years it is up 50.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Laos data come from?: The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Varieties of democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Varieties of democracy in Laos. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/varieties-democracy-vdem/lao-pdr/

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About this data

Indicator: Varieties of democracy
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 29,649 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

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.