News
BBCSwinney defends food prices policy ahead of first minister vote·Economic TimesIndia fuel price hike among world's lowest: BJP·SCMPSome Asian airlines could collapse like Spirit without help on rising fuel costs·SCMPTexans accuse Japan of doing ‘deal with the devil’ by funding US fossil fuel projects·SCMPHong Kong property upswing poised to hold despite interest rates risk: Moody’s·SCMPCuba warns of ‘bloodbath’ if US attacks as Washington expands sanctions·NYTOil Prices Climb and Bonds Falter as Iran War Raises Inflation Fears·NYTG7 Finance Ministers Look to Contain Iran Economic Fallout·BBCSwinney defends food prices policy ahead of first minister vote·Economic TimesIndia fuel price hike among world's lowest: BJP·SCMPSome Asian airlines could collapse like Spirit without help on rising fuel costs·SCMPTexans accuse Japan of doing ‘deal with the devil’ by funding US fossil fuel projects·SCMPHong Kong property upswing poised to hold despite interest rates risk: Moody’s·SCMPCuba warns of ‘bloodbath’ if US attacks as Washington expands sanctions·NYTOil Prices Climb and Bonds Falter as Iran War Raises Inflation Fears·NYTG7 Finance Ministers Look to Contain Iran Economic Fallout·
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Laos

Lao Kip (LAK)

48
Moderate
Risk
#27
of 171
Riskier
than 85% of currencies
37
global avg score
$353
$1,000 in 5 years
Impact on Citizens

Citizens need their money to grow at least 24.6% per year to not lose purchasing power. Every LAK 100 saved today will only buy 81 worth of goods next year.See savings calculator ↓

Economic Indicators

Inflation Rate
23.1%
Debt to GDP
95.0%
GDP Growth
4.1%
Broad Money / GDP
36.2%

Banking & Stability

NPL Ratio
Not available
Reserve Months
2.4
Current Account
3.2%
FX Volatility
12.6

Governance & Markets

Rule of Law
-0.8
Black Market Premium
10.0%
Capital Controls
56.0
Peg Fragility
Not available

Currency Structure

Global Currency Role
70.0
FX Regime
managed float
Data Coverage
83.0%

Savings Impact Calculator

LAK
Holding cash in LAK23.1% inflation
LAK 353−LAK 647 (65% purchasing power lost)
Your LAK 1,000 buys 65% less in 5 years
What if you invested LAK 1,000 instead? (5yr, in LAK terms)
USD-denominated assets gain an additional ~20.1%/yr from expected LAK depreciation vs USD
Hold USD Cash
LAK 2205
+LAK 1205
+17.1%/yr net in LAK
S&P 500
LAK 3732
+LAK 2732
range: LAK 1936–LAK 6664
10% USD return + 20.1% FX · ±16% vol
Gold
LAK 3454
+LAK 2454
range: LAK 1224–LAK 8149
8% USD return + 20.1% FX · ±24% vol
Bitcoin
LAK 6439
+LAK 5439
range: LAK 629–LAK 31.3k
25% USD return + 20.1% FX · ±54% vol

All values in LAK. USD-denominated assets (S&P 500, Gold, Bitcoin) include an estimated FX gain of ~20.1%/yr based on the inflation differential between Laos (23.1%) and the US (~3%). This uses purchasing power parity as a long-run approximation — actual FX movements can differ significantly in the short term. S&P 500 based on 1957-2024, Gold on 2000-2024, Bitcoin on 2015-2024. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Not financial advice.

Data last updated: 2026-05-19

Note: World Bank does not cover this country directly. Data sourced from national statistics and IMF estimates.

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