Total shortfall from extreme poverty in Laos
Laos: Total shortfall from extreme poverty was 130.94 million international-$ in 2021 prices in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Total shortfall from extreme poverty in Laos, 1992–2024
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in international-$ in 2021 prices.
Analysis
Laos recorded 130.94 million international-$ in 2021 prices for total shortfall from extreme poverty in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 63.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total shortfall from extreme poverty in Laos peaked at 1.16 billion international-$ in 2021 prices in 1997 and was at its lowest, 130.94 million international-$ in 2021 prices, in 2024.
Laos ranks 53rd of 120 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 853.75 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 546.50 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 1.16 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 2 |
| 2000s | 657.80 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 610.25 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 705.34 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 2 |
| 2010s | 305.64 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 256.35 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 354.92 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 2 |
| 2020s | 130.94 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 130.94 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 130.94 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 1 |
Countries ranked near Laos
- 50 Gambia 161.53 million international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 51 Botswana 158.57 million international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 52 Tajikistan 131.02 million international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 54 Mauritania 123.29 million international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 55 Nicaragua 120.36 million international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 56 El Salvador 120.21 million international-$ in 2021 prices compare
More poverty & inequality data for Laos
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 surveys (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)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 10.6% (2022)
- Gender Inequality Index 0.475 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in women 0.1345 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient by sex 0.1345 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in men 0.1577 (2023)
- Share of government consumption in GDP vs. share of population living in extreme poverty 16.9% (2023)
- Income inequality: Atkinson index 0.2356 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total shortfall from extreme poverty in Laos?
- Total shortfall from extreme poverty in Laos was 130.94 million international-$ in 2021 prices in 2024, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total shortfall from extreme poverty recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 1.16 billion international-$ in 2021 prices in 1997.
- What is the lowest total shortfall from extreme poverty recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 130.94 million international-$ in 2021 prices in 2024.
- How does Laos rank for total shortfall from extreme poverty?
- Laos ranks 53rd out of 120 countries with data for 2024.
- Is total shortfall from extreme poverty rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 63.1%. 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 Total shortfall from extreme poverty. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
This is the amount of money that would be theoretically needed to lift the income or consumption of all people in poverty up to $3 per day. However, this is not a measure of the actual cost of eliminating poverty, since it does not take into account the costs involved in making the necessary transfers nor any changes in behavior they would bring about.