Industry jobs as a share of total employment in Laos
Laos: Industry jobs as a share of total employment was 7.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Industry jobs as a share of total employment in Laos, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, industry jobs as a share of total employment in Laos stood at 7.4%. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 18.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, industry jobs as a share of total employment in Laos peaked at 7.4% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1.9%, in 1991.
That places Laos 177th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Industry jobs as a share of total employment in Laos, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.9% | — |
| 1992 | 1.9% | +2.8% |
| 1993 | 2.0% | +3.5% |
| 1994 | 2.2% | +7.1% |
| 1995 | 2.3% | +5.8% |
| 1996 | 2.4% | +5.7% |
| 1997 | 2.6% | +6.4% |
| 1998 | 2.6% | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 2.8% | +7.4% |
| 2000 | 3.0% | +5.0% |
| 2001 | 3.1% | +4.7% |
| 2002 | 3.3% | +5.1% |
| 2003 | 3.4% | +5.2% |
| 2004 | 3.6% | +5.6% |
| 2005 | 3.9% | +6.8% |
| 2006 | 4.2% | +8.9% |
| 2007 | 4.5% | +7.0% |
| 2008 | 4.8% | +7.1% |
| 2009 | 5.1% | +6.6% |
| 2010 | 5.4% | +5.2% |
| 2011 | 5.6% | +3.7% |
| 2012 | 5.8% | +3.9% |
| 2013 | 6.0% | +3.3% |
| 2014 | 6.2% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 6.3% | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 6.4% | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 6.5% | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 6.8% | +4.3% |
| 2019 | 7.0% | +3.2% |
| 2020 | 7.0% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 7.1% | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 7.2% | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 7.2% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 7.4% | +2.1% |
| 2025 | 7.4% | +0.2% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 7.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 17.8%, 42% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Laos's 7.4% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 19.9%, 37% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.3% | 1.9% | 2.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 3.9% | 3.0% | 5.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.2% | 5.4% | 7.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.2% | 7.0% | 7.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Laos
- 174 Papua New Guinea 7.9% compare
- 175 Luxembourg 7.6% compare
- 176 Solomon Islands 7.6% compare
- 178 Malawi 7.3% compare
- 179 Uganda 7.3% compare
- 180 Angola 7.2% compare
More reference data data for Laos
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6615 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.913 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.88 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3021 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.88 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.22 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 3.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 12.95 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.64 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is industry jobs as a share of total employment in Laos?
- Industry jobs as a share of total employment in Laos was 7.4% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest industry jobs as a share of total employment recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 7.4% in 2025.
- What is the lowest industry jobs as a share of total employment recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.9% in 1991.
- How does Laos rank for industry jobs as a share of total employment?
- Laos ranks 177th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is industry jobs as a share of total employment rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Industry jobs as a share of total employment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of total employment working in the industry sector.