Lao PDR: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East Asia & Pacific (% of total merchandise imports)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Lao PDR's merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East Asia & Pacific (% of total merchandise imports) rose 0 percentage points on 2022 (from 81.87% to 81.87%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +0.37 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 4.57 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 27.88 percentage points in 1961 and the biggest yearly fall was 10.61 percentage points in 1998. 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 the straight-line trend is downward, about 1.25 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 81% of the movement over 10 observed years.

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 3rd highest value of the 204 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

• Korea, Dem. People's Rep. — 1st of 204: 97.1%
• Cambodia — 3rd of 204: 80.93%
• Myanmar — 4th of 204: 61.35%
• Solomon Islands — 5th of 204: 55.63%

What this measures

Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East Asia and Pacific are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from low- and middle-income economies in the East Asia and Pacific region according to the World Bank classification of economies. Data are expressed as a percentage of total merchandise imports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.

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

All 57 values

Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East Asia & Pacific (% of total merchandise imports) in nearby economies

• American Samoa — 30.18% (2023)
• Australia — 39.96% (2023)
• Brunei Darussalam — 52.27% (2023)
• Cambodia — 80.93% (2023)
• China — 15.21% (2023)
• Fiji — 24.33% (2023)
• French Polynesia

More private sector & trade data for Lao PDR

• Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$10.34 billion (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$12.38 billion (2025)
• Merchandise imports from high-income economies (% of total merchandise imports) — 17.45% (2023)
• Merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual (% of total merchandise imports) — 0% (2023)
• Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) — US$5.47 billion (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies within region (% of total merchandise imports) — 81.87% (2023)
• Merchandise exports to high-income economies (% of total merchandise exports) — 13.31% (2023)
• Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in East Asia & Pacific (% of total merchandise exports)

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 merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East Asia & Pacific (% of total merchandise imports)?

81.87% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1960?

It is up 68.13 percentage points from 13.74% in 1960. The highest value was 91.95% in 2016 and the lowest 13.74% in 1960.

How does Lao PDR rank?

3rd highest of 204 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East Asia & Pacific (% of total merchandise imports) unusual for Lao PDR?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator TM.VAL.MRCH.R1.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB); Direction of Trade database, 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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