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Topic 06 of 12 · Country Index 2026
Laos: Development & Human Capital
Is a country turning its resources into better lives?
Laos is placed 119th of 194 countries on development & human capital in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics. Readings behind it: Maternal Mortality Ratio 112.15 (2023); Human Development Index 0.617 (2023).
Development & Human Capital
119th
of 194 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 3 key statistics
01The evidence
The 3 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Laos on development & human capital — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used; the grey ticks are every other country in that edition, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 3
Maternal Mortality Ratio
UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG)
Why it is a key: Whether a woman survives giving birth — the reach of a health system at the moment it is hardest to fake.
2023 edition · data for 2023 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
112.15
Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births
Lower is better
Laos: 112.15. Across the 195 countries in this edition, values run from 0.11 (Cook Islands) to 992.83 (Nigeria); the world median is 46.65.
- World median
- 46.65
- Best in South-eastern Asia
- 6.12 Singapore
- Land neighbours
- China 16.25 · Cambodia 137.39 · Myanmar 184.64 · Thailand 34.45 · Vietnam 47.61
Each grey tick is one of 195 countries in the 2023 edition.
Key 2 of 3
Human Development Index
UNDP Human Development Report Office
Why it is a key: The standard composite of health, schooling and income, carrying UNDP's own published rank.
2023 edition · data for 2023 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
0.617
HDI score (0–1)
Higher is better
Ranked 147th of 193 by UNDP Human Development Report Office
Laos: 0.617. Across the 193 countries in this edition, values run from 0.388 (South Sudan) to 0.972 (Iceland); the world median is 0.762.
- World median
- 0.762
- Best in South-eastern Asia
- 0.946 Singapore
- Land neighbours
- China 0.797 · Cambodia 0.606 · Myanmar 0.609 · Thailand 0.798 · Vietnam 0.766
Each grey tick is one of 193 countries in the 2023 edition.
Key 3 of 3
Cereal Yield
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Why it is a key: How much food a hectare of land produces: the clearest single measure of agricultural productivity.
2023 edition · data for 2023 · CC BY 4.0
4,102
Cereal yield (kg per hectare)
Higher is better
Laos: 4,102. Across the 179 countries in this edition, values run from 23 (Cabo Verde) to 29,147 (Oman); the world median is 3,072.
- World median
- 3,072
- Best in South-eastern Asia
- 5,995 Vietnam
- Land neighbours
- China 6,418 · Cambodia 3,722 · Myanmar 3,796 · Thailand 3,072 · Vietnam 5,995
Each grey tick is one of 179 countries in the 2023 edition.
02Over time
Which way Laos is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Maternal Mortality Ratio
Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births · lower is better
LaosWorld median
Laos fell from 609.09 in 2000 to 112.15 in 2023; the world median went from 70.99 to 46.65.
Every year’s figures
Year Laos World median 2023 112 46.7 2022 120 53.0 2021 139 76.6 2020 132 56.0 2019 137 48.4 2018 145 49.3 2017 154 47.2 2016 165 50.6 2015 180 51.9 2014 193 52.8 2013 215 53.3 2012 241 54.6 2011 267 55.0 2010 305 56.1 2009 336 56.3 2008 374 55.8 2007 402 56.8 2006 432 58.1 2005 458 60.1 2004 492 63.0 2003 524 66.8 2002 550 66.0 2001 574 68.1 2000 609 71.0 Human Development Index
HDI score (0–1) · higher is better
LaosWorld median
Laos rose from 0.473 in 2000 to 0.617 in 2023; the world median went from 0.672 to 0.762.
Every year’s figures
Year Laos World median 2023 0.617 0.7620 2022 0.614 0.7610 2021 0.613 0.7450 2020 0.616 0.7425 2019 0.615 0.7515 2018 0.613 0.7520 2017 0.612 0.7480 2016 0.609 0.7500 2015 0.604 0.7430 2014 0.597 0.7410 2013 0.587 0.7390 2012 0.577 0.7350 2011 0.567 0.7250 2010 0.556 0.7250 2009 0.548 0.7220 2008 0.537 0.7180 2007 0.529 0.7100 2006 0.515 0.7045 2005 0.514 0.6960 2004 0.505 0.6960 2003 0.496 0.6910 2002 0.488 0.6845 2001 0.479 0.6770 2000 0.473 0.6720 Cereal Yield
Cereal yield (kg per hectare) · higher is better
LaosWorld median
Laos rose from 3,018 in 2000 to 4,102 in 2023; the world median went from 2,170 to 3,072.
Every year’s figures
Year Laos World median 2023 4,102 3,072 2022 4,041 3,217 2021 3,994 3,003 2020 3,993 3,260 2019 4,318 3,106 2018 4,504 2,883 2017 4,498 2,984 2016 4,627 3,043 2015 4,608 3,000 2014 4,508 3,001 2013 4,196 2,970 2012 4,082 2,782 2011 4,043 2,754 2010 3,832 2,647 2009 4,170 2,653 2008 4,016 2,664 2007 3,837 2,553 2006 3,634 2,514 2005 3,577 2,512 2004 3,261 2,428 2003 3,117 2,331 2002 3,245 2,378 2001 3,094 2,199 2000 3,018 2,170
03In context
Laos beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 194 countries on development & human capital, never a place within the region.
1st194thNot placed · 30 countries with too few key statisticsNo data
Laos and the countries it borders
The standing is each country’s place among all 194 placed on the topic; the other columns are the publishers’ own values, read at the edition the standing used.
| Country | Standing | Maternal Mortality RatioMaternal deaths per 100,000 live births | Human Development IndexHDI score (0–1) | Cereal YieldCereal yield (kg per hectare) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 China | 51st | 16.25 | 0.797 | 6,418 |
 Vietnam | 70th | 47.61 | 0.766 | 5,995 |
 Thailand | 85th | 34.45 | 0.798 | 3,072 |
| Laos | 119th | 112.15 | 0.617 | 4,102 |
 Cambodia | 126th | 137.39 | 0.606 | 3,722 |
 Myanmar | 130th | 184.64 | 0.609 | 3,796 |
“—” means the publisher gives no reading for that country in that edition. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed.
Across South-eastern Asia
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 194.
Placed either side on development & human capital
The countries immediately above and below Laos in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Laos is ahead of the world, and behind
38 more statistics filed under development & human capital, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median5
Statistics on which Laos does better than the middle country measured.
Livestock Production IndexFAO · 2022 · world median 107.06183.17107.06▲ Improved since 2012
Laos: 183.17 · world median 107.06 · Livestock production index (2014–2016 = 100). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 35.52 to 190.08; higher is better.
Position 6th of 194 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Violent Discipline of ChildrenUNICEF · 2025 · world median 75.862.375.8No earlier reading
Laos: 62.3 · world median 75.8 · Children aged 1-14 experiencing violent discipline (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 37.6 to 94; lower is better.
Position 69th of 90 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Food Production IndexFAO · 2022 · world median 106.08114.84106.08▲ Improved since 2012
Laos: 114.84 · world median 106.08 · Food production index (2014–2016 = 100). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 71.08 to 177.49; higher is better.
Position 61st of 195 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Crop Production IndexFAO · 2022 · world median 106.23113.65106.23▲ Improved since 2012
Laos: 113.65 · world median 106.23 · Crop production index (2014–2016 = 100). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 53.79 to 189.93; higher is better.
Position 66th of 195 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Exclusive Breastfeeding Under Six MonthsUNICEF · 2024 · world median 40.7450.3240.74No earlier reading
Laos: 50.32 · world median 40.74 · Infants under 6 months exclusively breastfed (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 3.497 to 83.3; higher is better.
Position 47th of 136 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Behind the world median24
Statistics on which Laos does worse than the middle country measured.
Prevalence of Severe Food InsecurityFAO · 2023 · world median 4.75.64.7▲ Improved since 2019
Laos: 5.6 · world median 4.7 · Population in severe food insecurity (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 63.1; lower is better.
Position 60th of 127 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Global Multidimensional Poverty IndexOPHI · 2025 · world median 0.0390.0820.039▲ Improved since 2018
Laos: 0.082 · world median 0.039 · MPI (0–1). Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 0.517; lower is better.
Position 47th of 109 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Organic Agricultural AreaFAO · 2024 · world median 0.7250.420.725▲ Improved since 2014
Laos: 0.42 · world median 0.725 · Organic share of agricultural land (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 86.38; higher is better.
Position 90th of 150 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Country Policy and Institutional AssessmentWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 3.2463.0833.246▼ Worsened since 2015
Laos: 3.083 · world median 3.246 · IDA Resource Allocation Index (1 = low to 6 = high). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1.617 to 4.225; higher is better.
Position 46th of 78 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Coefficient of Human InequalityUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 17.0524.8517.05No real change since 2013
Laos: 24.85 · world median 17.05 · Coefficient of Human Inequality (%). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 4.865 to 43.08; lower is better.
Position 58th of 169 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Gender Inequality IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.3510.4750.351▲ Improved since 2013
Laos: 0.475 · world median 0.351 · GII (0 = full equality, 1 = maximum inequality). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.003 to 0.838; lower is better.
Ranked 117th of 172 by UNDP Human Development Report Office.
GDP per Capita (PPP)World Bank Group · 2025 · world median 17,2658,87317,265▲ Improved since 2015
Laos: 8,873 · world median 17,265 · GDP per capita (constant 2021 international $, PPP). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1,067 to 139,593; higher is better.
Position 126th of 185 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Access to ElectricityWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 10096.5100▲ Improved since 2014
Laos: 96.5 · world median 100 · Population with electricity access (%). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 5.4 to 100; higher is better.
Statistical Performance IndicatorsWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 69.360.8469.3▲ Improved since 2016
Laos: 60.84 · world median 69.3 · SPI overall score (0–100). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 27.12 to 94.14; higher is better.
Position 131st of 188 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Under-Five Mortality RateUN IGME · 2024 · world median 14.5429.3514.54▲ Improved since 2014
Laos: 29.35 · world median 14.54 · Deaths before age five (per 1,000 live births). UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1.26 to 115.65; lower is better.
Position 59th of 200 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Inequality-adjusted Human Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.6090.4620.609▼ Worsened since 2013
Laos: 0.462 · world median 0.609 · IHDI (0–1). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.226 to 0.923; higher is better.
Position 121st of 169 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Human Capital IndexWorld Bank Group · 2020 · world median 0.5640.4570.564No real change since 2017
Laos: 0.457 · world median 0.564 · HCI score (0–1). World Bank Group, 2020 edition, data for 2020.
Published values in that edition run from 0.292 to 0.879; higher is better.
Position 124th of 172 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Life Expectancy at BirthUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 74.6368.9674.63No real change since 2013
Laos: 68.96 · world median 74.63 · Years a newborn would live at current death rates. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 54.46 to 86.37; higher is better.
Position 164th of 222 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Planetary pressures-adjusted HDIUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.6780.570.678▼ Worsened since 2013
Laos: 0.57 · world median 0.678 · PHDI (0–1). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.276 to 0.827; higher is better.
Position 118th of 156 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Cost of Sending RemittancesWorld Bank Group · 2023 · world median 3.2254.8733.225▲ Improved since 2016
Laos: 4.873 · world median 3.225 · Average cost of sending $200 home (% of the amount). World Bank Group, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from -49.69 to 19.63; lower is better.
Position 23rd of 93 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Dietary Energy SupplyFAO · 2024 · world median 2,9822,5662,982▼ Worsened since 2014
Laos: 2,566 · world median 2,982 · Dietary energy supply (kcal per person per day). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1,757 to 3,962; higher is better.
Position 123rd of 155 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Mean Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 9.9336.069.933No real change since 2013
Laos: 6.06 · world median 9.933 · Mean years of schooling (adults 25+). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 1.412 to 14.3; higher is better.
Position 154th of 193 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Social Protection CoverageILO · 2025 · world median 52.115.552.1No earlier reading
Laos: 15.5 · world median 52.1 · Population covered by at least one social protection benefit (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 100; higher is better.
Child MarriageUNICEF · 2025 · world median 17.130.517.1No earlier reading
Laos: 30.5 · world median 17.1 · Women 20–24 married before 18 (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 76.3; lower is better.
Position 27th of 143 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Gender Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.9710.9110.971▼ Worsened since 2013
Laos: 0.911 · world median 0.971 · Gender Development Index (1.000 = parity). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.407 to 1.038; higher is better.
Position 151st of 184 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Stunting Prevalence in Children Under FiveUNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates) · 2024 · world median 13.832.813.8No earlier reading
Laos: 32.8 · world median 13.8 · Children under 5 who are stunted (%). UNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.518 to 52.8; lower is better.
Position 25th of 162 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Completeness of Birth RegistrationUNICEF · 2025 · world median 98.46598.4No earlier reading
Laos: 65 · world median 98.4 · Children under 5 whose birth is registered (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 2.7 to 100; higher is better.
Expected Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 13.349.60513.34▼ Worsened since 2013
Laos: 9.605 · world median 13.34 · Expected years of schooling. UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 5.635 to 21.69; higher is better.
Position 175th of 195 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Account Ownership at a Financial InstitutionWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 72.8337.6572.83▼ Worsened since 2017
Laos: 37.65 · world median 72.83 · Adults with an account (% of population aged 15+). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 14.83 to 99.85; higher is better.
Position 128th of 139 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
No better end9
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Water Withdrawal by SectorFAO · 2022 · world median 62.1495.9262.14No real change since 2012
Laos: 95.92 · world median 62.14 · Freshwater withdrawn for agriculture (% of total). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 99.48.
Position 6th of 171 — derived here by ordering the published values, counted from the highest value. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Agricultural Irrigated LandFAO · 2023 · world median 3.6619.283.66No earlier reading
Laos: 19.28 · world median 3.66 · Irrigated share of agricultural land (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.003 to 89.04.
Position 16th of 121 — derived here by ordering the published values, counted from the highest value. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Value Added (% of GDP)World Bank Group · 2025 · world median 6.57216.626.572No real change since 2015
Laos: 16.62 · world median 6.572 · Agriculture, forestry and fishing value added (% of GDP). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.025 to 47.59.
Position 35th of 158 — derived here by ordering the published values, counted from the highest value. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Arable Land per PersonFAO · 2023 · world median 0.1090.160.109Moved since 2013
Laos: 0.16 · world median 0.109 · Arable land (hectares per person). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 1.459.
Position 78th of 206 — derived here by ordering the published values, counted from the highest value. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Net Official Development Assistance ReceivedOECD Development Assistance Committee · 2023 · world median 2.5793.5062.579No real change since 2013
Laos: 3.506 · world median 2.579 · Net ODA received (% of GNI). OECD Development Assistance Committee, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from -0.001 to 101.78.
Position 53rd of 130 — derived here by ordering the published values, counted from the highest value. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Land Under Cereal ProductionFAO · 2023 · world median 689,2781,062,711689,278No real change since 2013
Laos: 1,062,711 · world median 689,278 · Land under cereal production (hectares). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 103,715,108.
Position 78th of 179 — derived here by ordering the published values, counted from the highest value. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Manufacturing Value Added (% of GDP)World Bank Group · 2025 · world median 11.269.11411.26No real change since 2015
Laos: 9.114 · world median 11.26 · Manufacturing value added (% of GDP). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.481 to 43.97.
Position 84th of 132 — derived here by ordering the published values, counted from the highest value. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Cereal Import Dependency RatioFAO · 2022 · world median 42.8-0.342.8No real change since 2012
Laos: -0.3 · world median 42.8 · Share of the cereal supply that is imported (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from -1,894 to 100.
Children with Functional DifficultiesUNICEF · 2024 · world median 132.713No earlier reading
Laos: 2.7 · world median 13 · Children aged 5-17 with a functional difficulty (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.9 to 35.2.
No current reading for Laos
Agriculture Orientation Index (last 2023), Gini Index (last 2018), Global Report on Food Crises, GNI per Capita (PPP) (last 2021), Household Consumption (last 2016), Income Share Held by Lowest 20% (last 2018), Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day (last 2018), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day (last 2018), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day (last 2018), Prevalence of Undernourishment and Prosperity Gap (last 2018). Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
05Country Index 2026
Development & Human Capital among Laos’s 11 topics
Development & Human Capital is Laos’s 5th best-placed topic of 11. Strongest first; each marker sits at the position divided by that topic’s field, so fields of different sizes compare fairly.
- Environment & Sustainability20th of 1613/3 keys
- Work & Labour52nd of 1824/4 keys
- Risk & Resiliencejoint 66th of 1913/3 keys
- Gender & Equality95th of 1783/3 keys
- Development & Human Capital119th of 1943/3 keys
- Peace & Security115th of 1772/3 keys
- Health & Wellbeing142nd of 2014/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions140th of 1935/5 keys
- Economy & Innovation119th of 1503/3 keys
- Education & Knowledge159th of 1824/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties182nd of 1983/3 keys
No standing on Mobility & Connectivity: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on development & human capital
The three countries placed highest of 194, and the leaders Laos can most readily be measured against.
1
United Arab EmiratesWestern Asia
1st of 194 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
BelgiumWestern Europe
2nd of 194 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: Gf uip · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3
GermanyWestern Europe
3rd of 194 · 3 of 3 keys
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Asia
United Arab Emirates1st3/3 keysHighest in South-eastern Asia
Singapore14th2/3 keysThis page
Laos119th3/3 keys
Positions out of 194 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Analysis
Charts and analysis about Laos and development & human capital
On development & human capital
Global Hunger Index 2025: Countries with the Most Alarming Hunger Crisis
Thirteen countries scored across four editions — 2000, 2008, 2016 and 2025 — and five the report could not score at all. DR Congo and South Sudan share 121st place on 37.5.
On development & human capital
India vs Pakistan 2025: Comparison of Hunger Index, Happiness, HDI, Rule of Law, Literacy & GDP
India and Pakistan on six published measures: hunger, happiness, human development, rule of law, literacy and GDP per capita. India is the better placed on five of them; Pakistan on one.
08Questions
Laos on development & human capital: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Laos rank on development & human capital?
Laos is placed 119th of 194 countries on Development & Human Capital in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics (Maternal Mortality Ratio, Human Development Index and Cereal Yield). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Maternal Mortality Ratio figure for Laos?
112.15 in 2023 (maternal deaths per 100,000 live births), according to UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG). The world median in the same edition was 46.65.
What is the latest Human Development Index figure for Laos?
0.617 in 2023 (hDI score (0–1)), according to UNDP Human Development Report Office. The world median in the same edition was 0.762.
How does Laos compare with China on development & human capital?
China is placed 51st of 194, and Laos 119th. Maternal Mortality Ratio: China 16.25, Laos 112.15; Human Development Index: China 0.797, Laos 0.617; Cereal Yield: China 6,418, Laos 4,102.
How have Laos’s development & human capital figures changed?
Maternal Mortality Ratio fell from 609.09 in 2000 to 112.15 in 2023; Human Development Index rose from 0.473 in 2000 to 0.617 in 2023; Cereal Yield rose from 3,018 in 2000 to 4,102 in 2023.
Which development & human capital statistics are missing for Laos?
No current reading is published for Laos on Agriculture Orientation Index, Gini Index, Global Report on Food Crises, GNI per Capita (PPP), Household Consumption, Income Share Held by Lowest 20%, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day, Prevalence of Undernourishment and Prosperity Gap. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
09Keep reading
Explore further
Laos, topic by topic
- Governance & Institutions140th of 193
- Economy & Innovation119th of 150
- Work & Labour52nd of 182
- Education & Knowledge159th of 182
- Health & Wellbeing142nd of 201
- Environment & Sustainability20th of 161
- Gender & Equality95th of 178
- Democracy & Civil Liberties182nd of 198
- Peace & Security115th of 177
- Risk & Resilience=66th of 191
- The full Laos profile
Nearby, on development & human capital
The key statistics, for every country
10Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Poverty lines, inequality and aid received are published here as context rather than as keys, often because they cover fewer countries or are measured too rarely. Development is also not the same as economic size or growth, which belong to Economy & Innovation.
How the Development & Human Capital standing is decided, step by step
A standing is a place in a list, not a mark out of anything. This one is part of the Country Index 2026, and it is worked out like this.
- A few key indicators decide it; the rest are context. 3 indicators on this topic are keys and 49 are charted alongside them without a vote. That split is the point: if every statistic voted, importing five more of one kind would quietly change what the topic is about.
- Each key is read at one edition. All of them describe 2023.
- Every country’s published value is turned into a place within that one key’s own field, and then expressed as a share of that field — how far down this key’s list the country sits, rather than how many countries are above it. Keys where a higher published number is worse (terrorism, hunger, disaster risk) are turned round first, so the good end is always the same end.
- Dividing by the field first is the whole reason this works. A place carries the size of its list inside it: 22nd of 44 and 108th of 215 are the same showing, and averaging the numbers 22 and 108 says loudly that they are not. Fields on this site run from about 44 countries to about 215, so averaging raw places would reward a country for happening to be measured in small ones. Dividing each place by its own field removes the size and leaves only the showing.
- The shares are averaged, plainly. One key, one vote — no key is weighted above another, because any weighting would be this site’s opinion presented as a measurement. Countries are then put in order by that average, and the average itself is never published. It is our arithmetic with nothing anchoring it, so printing it would invite it to be read as a measurement somebody made. The position it produces, the band, and the keys it was built from are all published instead — every one of them checkable against the tables on this page.
- A country needs 2 of this topic’s 3 keys — half, rounded up, and never fewer than 2. A standing built from one reading, printed beside one built from four, is two different things sharing a column heading. 194 countries clear the bar here.
- A key has to earn its vote every edition. It must measure at least 120 countries (below that it starts measuring who was surveyed rather than the world), it must not have more than 10% of its field tied at either end, and it must not repeat another key in the same topic — Spearman correlation above 0.92 counts as repeating. A topic needs at least 2 surviving keys to place anyone at all; this one has 3.
- A standing is relative, and the grouping is ours. It says where a country places against the others measured alongside it, so it moves when they move. The publishers listed on this page did not agree to be read together, and each measures its subject its own way: the underlying numbers are theirs, the ordering on top is this site’s — the same method as the rest of the Country Index, applied to one subject instead of all of them.
The key statistics and their licences
- Maternal Mortality Ratio — UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG), CC BY 3.0 IGO
- Human Development Index — UNDP Human Development Report Office, CC BY 3.0 IGO
- Cereal Yield — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CC BY 4.0
The other 38 statistics on this page come from 10 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Laos’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Laos (banner) — Tango7174, CC BY-SA 4.0
- United Arab Emirates — Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belgium — Gf uip, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Germany — dronepicr, CC BY 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Laos: Development & Human Capital — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/laos/development