Lao PDR: Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Lao PDR's fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) fell 1.44 on 2022 (from 17.54 to 16.1).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +0.58 and a typical year strayed about 1.77 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 5.23 in 2012 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.3 in 2017. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 14% 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 2023, Lao PDR had the 9th highest value of the 21 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 2023 ranking

• Curaçao — 5th of 21: 24.79
• French Polynesia — 6th of 21: 23.47
• Panama — 7th of 21: 17.36
• Russian Federation — 9th of 21: 14.31
• Kuwait — 10th of 21: 11.83
• West Bank and Gaza — 11th of 21: 7.09

What this measures

Fixed telephone subscriptions refers to the sum of active number of analogue fixed telephone lines, voice-over-IP (VoIP) subscriptions, fixed wireless local loop (WLL) subscriptions, ISDN voice-channel equivalents and fixed public payphones.

Limitations: Operators have traditionally been the main source of telecommunications data, so information on subscriptions has been widely available for most countries. This gives a general idea of access, but a more precise measure is the penetration rate - the share of households with access to telecommunications. During the past few years more information on information and communication technology use has become available from household and business surveys. Also important are data on actual use of telecommunications services. Ideally, statistics on telecommunications (and other information and communications technologies) should be compiled for all three measures: subscriptions, access, and use.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 64 values

Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) in nearby economies

• American Samoa — 20.05 (2022)
• Australia — 22.28 (2024)
• Brunei Darussalam — 27.72 (2024)
• Cambodia — 0.16 (2024)
• China — 11.73 (2024)
• Fiji — 8.37 (2024)
• French Polynesia — 23.47 (2023)
• Guam — 43.17 (2022)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 44.57 (2024)
• Indonesia

More infrastructure data for Lao PDR

• Fixed telephone subscriptions — 1.23 million (2023)
• Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide — 10,963 (2023)
• Air transport, passengers carried — 842,280 (2023)
• Air transport, freight (million ton-km) — 0 (2023)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 4.96 million (2023)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 64.76 (2023)
• Medium and high-tech exports (% manufactured exports) — 18.62% (2024)
• ICT service exports (BoP, current US$) — US$49.76 million (2025)
• ICT service exports (% of service exports, BoP) — 2.71% (2025)
• Scientific and technical journal articles

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Lao PDR's fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people)?

16.1 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1960?

It is up 46,320% from 0.03 in 1960 (10.24% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 20.79 in 2018 and the lowest 0.03 in 1960.

How does Lao PDR rank?

9th highest of 21 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) unusual for Lao PDR?

In 2023, Lao PDR's fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) fell 1.44 on 2022 (from 17.54 to 16.1). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +0.58 and a typical year strayed about 1.77 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator IT.MLT.MAIN.P2, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 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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