Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Laos

Laos: Personal remittances and foreign aid received was 219.52 million current US$ in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
219.52 million current US$
Change on year
down 5.4%
World rank
137th
of 193 countries
All-time high
296.52 million current US$
in 2019
All-time low
400,000 current US$
in 1995
Years of data
38
1984–2021

Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Laos, 1984–2021

0100.0M200.0M300.0M1984200220211984: 2.8M current US$1985: 3.5M current US$1986: 3.7M current US$1987: 3.5M current US$1988: 6.7M current US$1989: 8.3M current US$1990: 10.9M current US$1991: 10.4M current US$1992: 10.8M current US$1993: 12.1M current US$1994: 10.0M current US$1995: 400.0k current US$1996: 500.0k current US$1997: 500.0k current US$1998: 600.0k current US$1999: 600.0k current US$2000: 660.0k current US$2001: 694.6k current US$2002: 729.3k current US$2003: 765.8k current US$2004: 804.1k current US$2005: 830.0k current US$2006: 4.2M current US$2007: 6.2M current US$2008: 17.8M current US$2009: 37.6M current US$2010: 41.8M current US$2011: 110.3M current US$2012: 203.0M current US$2013: 170.4M current US$2014: 188.0M current US$2015: 189.2M current US$2016: 189.4M current US$2017: 242.7M current US$2018: 239.9M current US$2019: 296.5M current US$2020: 232.2M current US$2021: 219.5M current US$

Source: World Bank based on International Monetary Fund balance of payments data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in current US$.

Analysis

The most recent figure for personal remittances and foreign aid received in Laos is 219.52 million current US$, measured in 2021.

That represents a change of down 5.4% on the previous year and up 99.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, personal remittances and foreign aid received in Laos peaked at 296.52 million current US$ in 2019 and was at its lowest, 400,000 current US$, in 1995.

That places Laos 137th out of 193 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 4.75 million current US$ 2.80 million current US$ 8.30 million current US$ 6
1990s 5.68 million current US$ 400,000 current US$ 12.10 million current US$ 10
2000s 7.03 million current US$ 660,000 current US$ 37.58 million current US$ 10
2010s 187.12 million current US$ 41.77 million current US$ 296.52 million current US$ 10
2020s 225.84 million current US$ 219.52 million current US$ 232.17 million current US$ 2

Countries ranked near Laos

  1. 134 Zambia 239.71 million current US$ compare
  2. 135 Trinidad and Tobago 233.99 million current US$ compare
  3. 136 Benin 230.91 million current US$ compare
  4. 138 Tonga 215.67 million current US$ compare
  5. 139 Guinea-Bissau 206.11 million current US$ compare
  6. 140 Mozambique 201.87 million current US$ compare

See the full ranking of 193 places →

More reference data data for Laos

All data for Laos →

Frequently asked questions

What is personal remittances and foreign aid received in Laos?
Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Laos was 219.52 million current US$ in 2021, according to World Bank based on International Monetary Fund balance of payments data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest personal remittances and foreign aid received recorded in Laos?
The highest recorded value was 296.52 million current US$ in 2019.
What is the lowest personal remittances and foreign aid received recorded in Laos?
The lowest recorded value was 400,000 current US$ in 1995.
How does Laos rank for personal remittances and foreign aid received?
Laos ranks 137th out of 193 countries with data for 2021.
Is personal remittances and foreign aid received rising or falling in Laos?
Over the last ten years it is up 99.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Laos data come from?
The figures come from World Bank based on International Monetary Fund balance of payments data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Personal remittances and foreign aid received. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Personal remittances and foreign aid received
Unit
current US$
Source
World Bank based on International Monetary Fund balance of payments data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
193 places, 6,518 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed

Remittances are financial transfers from non-residents to residents of a country, such as a worker abroad sending money to family and friends. Foreign aid is measured as official development assistance. Both are measured in current US$.