Lao PDR: Commercial service imports (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Lao PDR's commercial service imports (current US$) fell 1.1% on 2024 (from US$1.67 billion to US$1.65 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +24.9% and a typical year strayed about 62.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 193% in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 87.1% in 2000. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 6% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2025, Lao PDR had the 108th highest value of the 136 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Lao PDR in the 2025 ranking

• Zambia — 105th of 136: US$2.17 billion
• Moldova — 106th of 136: US$2.14 billion
• Maldives — 107th of 136: US$1.88 billion
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 109th of 136: US$1.57 billion
• Brunei Darussalam — 110th of 136: US$1.51 billion
• Madagascar — 111th of 136: US$1.44 billion

What this measures

Commercial service imports are total service imports minus imports of government services not included elsewhere. Imports of services are services provided by non-residents to residents. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.

Limitations: Balance of payments statistics, the main source of information on international trade in services, have many weaknesses. Disaggregation of important components may be limited and varies considerably across countries. There are inconsistencies in the methods used to report items. And the recording of major flows as net items is common (for example, insurance transactions are often recorded as premiums less claims). These factors contribute to a downward bias in the value of the service trade reported in the balance of payments. Efforts are being made to improve the coverage, quality, and consistency of these data.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a gap-filled total.

All 42 values

Commercial service imports (current US$) in nearby economies

• Australia — US$114.67 billion (2025)
• Brunei Darussalam — US$1.51 billion (2025)
• Cambodia — US$3.19 billion (2025)
• China — US$619.6 billion (2025)
• Fiji — US$979.74 million (2024)
• French Polynesia — US$382.81 million (2016)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — US$93.42 billion (2025)
• Indonesia — US$62.67 billion (2025)
• Japan — US$266.13 billion (2025)
• Kiribati — US$80.44 million (2025)

More private sector & trade data for Lao PDR

• Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$10.34 billion (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$12.38 billion (2025)
• Merchandise imports from high-income economies (% of total merchandise imports) — 17.45% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East Asia & Pacific (% of total merchandise imports) — 81.87% (2023)
• Merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual (% of total merchandise imports) — 0% (2023)
• Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) — US$5.47 billion (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies within region (% of total merchandise imports) — 81.87% (2023)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Lao PDR's commercial service imports (current US$)?

US$1.65 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1984?

It is up 2,777% from US$57.4 million in 1984 (8.54% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$1.67 billion in 2024 and the lowest US$13 million in 2000.

How does Lao PDR rank?

108th highest of 136 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in commercial service imports (current US$) unusual for Lao PDR?

In 2025, Lao PDR's commercial service imports (current US$) fell 1.1% on 2024 (from US$1.67 billion to US$1.65 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +24.9% and a typical year strayed about 62.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator TM.VAL.SERV.CD.WT, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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