Arrivals of tourists from abroad in Laos
Laos: Arrivals of tourists from abroad was 811,600 arrivals in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2020)
811,600 arrivals
Change on year
down 81.5%
World rank
106th
of 203 countries
All-time high
4.38 million arrivals
in 2019
All-time low
60,000 arrivals
in 1995
Years of data
26
1995–2020
Arrivals of tourists from abroad in Laos, 1995–2020
Source: UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in arrivals.
Analysis
Laos recorded 811,600 arrivals for arrivals of tourists from abroad in 2020.
That represents a change of down 81.5% on the previous year and down 51.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arrivals of tourists from abroad in Laos peaked at 4.38 million arrivals in 2019 and was at its lowest, 60,000 arrivals, in 1995.
Laos ranks 106th of 203 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Arrivals of tourists from abroad in Laos, year by year
| Year | arrivals | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 60,000 arrivals | — |
| 1996 | 93,000 arrivals | +55.0% |
| 1997 | 193,000 arrivals | +107.5% |
| 1998 | 200,000 arrivals | +3.6% |
| 1999 | 259,000 arrivals | +29.5% |
| 2000 | 191,000 arrivals | -26.3% |
| 2001 | 173,000 arrivals | -9.4% |
| 2002 | 215,000 arrivals | +24.3% |
| 2003 | 196,000 arrivals | -8.8% |
| 2004 | 407,000 arrivals | +107.7% |
| 2005 | 672,000 arrivals | +65.1% |
| 2006 | 842,000 arrivals | +25.3% |
| 2007 | 1.14 million arrivals | +35.6% |
| 2008 | 1.29 million arrivals | +13.4% |
| 2009 | 1.24 million arrivals | -4.3% |
| 2010 | 1.67 million arrivals | +34.8% |
| 2011 | 1.89 million arrivals | +13.4% |
| 2012 | 2.29 million arrivals | +21.0% |
| 2013 | 2.70 million arrivals | +17.9% |
| 2014 | 3.16 million arrivals | +17.2% |
| 2015 | 3.54 million arrivals | +12.0% |
| 2016 | 3.31 million arrivals | -6.4% |
| 2017 | 3.26 million arrivals | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 3.77 million arrivals | +15.8% |
| 2019 | 4.38 million arrivals | +16.3% |
| 2020 | 811,600 arrivals | -81.5% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 811,600 arrivals is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 546,464 arrivals, 1.5× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Laos's 811,600 arrivals is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 727,000 arrivals, 1.1× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 161,000 arrivals | 60,000 arrivals | 259,000 arrivals | 5 |
| 2000s | 637,200 arrivals | 173,000 arrivals | 1.29 million arrivals | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.00 million arrivals | 1.67 million arrivals | 4.38 million arrivals | 10 |
| 2020s | 811,600 arrivals | 811,600 arrivals | 811,600 arrivals | 1 |
Countries ranked near Laos
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 arrivals of tourists from abroad in Laos?
- Arrivals of tourists from abroad in Laos was 811,600 arrivals in 2020, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest arrivals of tourists from abroad recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 4.38 million arrivals in 2019.
- What is the lowest arrivals of tourists from abroad recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 60,000 arrivals in 1995.
- How does Laos rank for arrivals of tourists from abroad?
- Laos ranks 106th out of 203 countries with data for 2020.
- Is arrivals of tourists from abroad rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 51.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Arrivals of tourists from abroad. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of trips by visitors who arrive from abroad and stay overnight.