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

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Lao PDR's merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Europe & Central Asia (% of total merchandise imports) rose 0 percentage points on 2022 (from 0.04% to 0.04%).

Across the 24 yearly changes before that (1999 to 2022), the average change was −0.07 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.33 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above 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 0.03 percentage points in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.61 percentage points in 1999. 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 upward, about 0.00562 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 54% 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 191st highest value of the 196 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

• Solomon Islands — 187th of 196: 0.05%
• Bermuda — 188th of 196: 0.05%
• Timor-Leste — 189th of 196: 0.04%
• Lesotho — 191st of 196: 0.02%
• Bhutan — 192nd of 196: 0.02%
• Greenland — 193rd of 196: 0.01%

What this measures

Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Europe and Central Asia are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from low- and middle-income economies in the Europe and Central Asia 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 28 values

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

• American Samoa — 0.09% (2023)
• Australia — 0.47% (2023)
• Brunei Darussalam — 4.41% (2022)
• Cambodia — 0.02% (2020)
• China — 1.74% (2023)
• Fiji — 0.12% (2017)
• French Polynesia

More private sector & trade data for Lao PDR

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

• 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 Europe & Central Asia (% of total merchandise imports)?

0.04% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 0.03 percentage points from 0.00262% in 1971. The highest value was 5.14% in 1989 and the lowest 0.0000951% in 2000.

How does Lao PDR rank?

191st highest of 196 economies with data for 2023.

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

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator TM.VAL.MRCH.R2.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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