Lao PDR: Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2022, Lao PDR's net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) rose 1.51 trillion on 2021 (from -1.1 trillion to 410.33 billion).

Across the 13 yearly changes before that (2009 to 2021), the average change was −4.77 billion and a typical year strayed about 2.97 trillion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 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 7.79 trillion in 2021 and the biggest yearly fall was 4.16 trillion in 2020. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2013 to 2022 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 8% 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.

Closest to Lao PDR in the 2022 ranking

• Equatorial Guinea — 1st of 8: 979.19 billion
• Timor-Leste — 3rd of 8: 50.88 million
• Ecuador — 4th of 8: -7.22 million
• Australia — 5th of 8: -31.49 billion

What this measures

Net lending (+) / net borrowing (–) equals government revenue minus expense, minus net investment in nonfinancial assets. It is also equal to the net result of transactions in financial assets and liabilities. Net lending/net borrowing is a summary measure indicating the extent to which government is either putting financial resources at the disposal of other sectors in the economy or abroad, or utilizing the financial resources generated by other sectors in the economy or from abroad. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.

Limitations: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

All 15 values

Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Australia — -31.49 billion (2022)
• Cambodia — -5.79 trillion (2023)
• Fiji — -299.35 million (2024)
• Kiribati — -6.29 million (2023)
• Korea, Rep. — -45.65 trillion (2024)
• Macao SAR, China — 27.87 billion (2024)
• Malaysia — -80.11 billion (2024)
• Marshall Islands — 12.17 million (2020)
• Micronesia, Fed. Sts. — 25.83 million (2020)
• Mongolia

More public sector data for Lao PDR

• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 7 million (2024)
• Armed forces personnel, total — 129,000 (2020)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 4.08% (2020)
• CPIA business regulatory environment rating (1=low to 6=high) — 3.5 (2025)
• CPIA debt policy rating (1=low to 6=high) — 2 (2025)
• CPIA economic management cluster average (1=low to 6=high) — 3 (2025)
• CPIA policy and institutions for environmental sustainability rating (1=low to 6=high) — 3.5 (2025)
• CPIA quality of budgetary and financial management rating (1=low to 6=high) — 3 (2025)
• CPIA financial sector rating (1=low to 6=high)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Lao PDR's net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU)?

410.33 billion in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2008?

It is up 139.72% from -1.03 trillion in 2008. The highest value was 410.33 billion in 2022 and the lowest -8.89 trillion in 2020.

Is the latest change in net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) unusual for Lao PDR?

In 2022, Lao PDR's net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) rose 1.51 trillion on 2021 (from -1.1 trillion to 410.33 billion). Across the 13 yearly changes before that (2009 to 2021), the average change was −4.77 billion and a typical year strayed about 2.97 trillion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GC.NLD.TOTL.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance 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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