Poverty gap index at $3 a day in Laos
Laos: Poverty gap index at $3 a day was 1.5% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Poverty gap index at $3 a day in Laos, 1992–2024
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for poverty gap index at $3 a day in Laos is 1.5%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 68.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty gap index at $3 a day in Laos peaked at 20.5% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 2024.
Laos ranks 36th of 120 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Poverty gap index at $3 a day in Laos, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 10.9% | — |
| 1997 | 20.5% | +88.3% |
| 2002 | 11.4% | -44.2% |
| 2007 | 9.2% | -19.8% |
| 2012 | 5.0% | -46.0% |
| 2018 | 3.3% | -34.1% |
| 2024 | 1.5% | -52.8% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 1.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.5%, 63% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Laos's 1.5% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.4%, 3.8× the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.7% | 10.9% | 20.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 10.3% | 9.2% | 11.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 4.1% | 3.3% | 5.0% | 2 |
| 2020s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Laos
- 33 Philippines 2.3% compare
- 34 Nicaragua 1.8% compare
- 35 El Salvador 1.7% compare
- 37 North Macedonia 1.5% compare
- 38 Peru 1.5% compare
- 39 Montenegro 1.2% compare
More poverty & inequality data for Laos
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 2.42 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 4,196 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 2.31 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 10.62 (2022)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 10.6% (2022)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is poverty gap index at $3 a day in Laos?
- Poverty gap index at $3 a day in Laos was 1.5% in 2024, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest poverty gap index at $3 a day recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 20.5% in 1997.
- What is the lowest poverty gap index at $3 a day recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 2024.
- How does Laos rank for poverty gap index at $3 a day?
- Laos ranks 36th out of 120 countries with data for 2024.
- Is poverty gap index at $3 a day rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 68.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Poverty gap index at $3 a day. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The poverty gap index is a poverty measure that reflects both the prevalence and the depth of poverty. It is calculated as the share of population in poverty multiplied by the average shortfall from the poverty line (expressed as a % of the poverty line).