🇱🇦 Laos National Debt Clock
Live tracker for Laos government debt. The national debt currently stands at
approximately $14.7 billion, falling by $11 per second in US-dollar terms while rising in LAK based on IMF fiscal deficit projections. Debt-to-GDP: 89%. Per-citizen share: $1,866.
Debt distress; Chinese creditor negotiations ongoing
Among the 135 governments tracked here, Laos ranks 27th by debt-to-GDP, 112th by total debt and 103rd by debt per person.
About Laos' National Debt
Laos is in debt distress, weighed down by heavy borrowing from China — notably for a flagship railway — amid a slumping currency and dwindling reserves.
Laos' debt-to-GDP ratio of 89% is elevated: higher than 80% of the 135 governments tracked here. No ratio is safe or dangerous on its own — whether a debt is sustainable depends on the interest rate on it, how fast the economy grows, the currency it is owed in and who holds it. By total government debt, Laos ranks 112th of the 135 governments tracked here.
Laos' debt is rising in LAK, but the figure above is falling by roughly $11 per second because the LAK is weakening against the dollar faster than the debt is growing. Switch the counter to LAK to see the underlying trend. This is an exchange-rate effect, not repayment. Each of Laos' 8 million residents carries an individual share of approximately $1,866. That is below the world average of roughly $14,600 in government debt per person.
Figures are computed by Global Debt Clock by linear extrapolation from each country's baseline figure, named in the source line on this page (for most countries, the IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026). Actual debt changes through discrete bond issuances — these counters illustrate the approximate scale and pace of sovereign borrowing.
Laos National Debt — Frequently Asked Questions
What is Laos' national debt right now?
Laos' national debt is approximately $14.7 billion as of October 27, 2026, falling by $11 per second in US-dollar terms while rising in LAK. Its debt-to-GDP ratio is 89% and each citizen's share is about $1,866.
How fast is Laos' debt growing?
Laos' debt is growing in LAK, but its US-dollar figure is falling by about $11 per second because the LAK is weakening against the dollar. That is a currency-translation effect, not debt repayment.
What is Laos' debt per capita?
Each of Laos' 8 million residents carries a notional share of approximately $1,866 of the national debt.
What is Laos' debt-to-GDP ratio?
Laos' debt-to-GDP ratio is 89%. That is higher than 80% of the 135 governments tracked here.
Why is Laos' government debt at this level?
Laos is in debt distress, weighed down by heavy borrowing from China — notably for a flagship railway — amid a slumping currency and dwindling reserves.
Compare Laos vs another country
Live side-by-side debt comparisons — shareable cards for journalists and social.
Further reading
Other Asia-Pacific countries
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Data & Citation
Source: IMF WEO October 2026 (GGXWDG, end-2025 stock) · baseline anchored .
Methodology: debt = 15,009,185,651 + -11 × seconds_since(2026-01-01)
Machine-readable data: /api/debt?c=la (live JSON) · /data/debt.json (full dataset)
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<p style="font-size:11px;color:#666;margin:4px 0 0;text-align:right"><a href="https://www.global-debt-clock.com/la/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="color:#888;text-decoration:none">Laos National Debt — Live Counter</a></p>