Laos (Lao People's Democratic Republic)

http://www.humantruth.info/laos.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Laos Lao People's Democratic Republic
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	146th best
Capital	Vientiane
Land Area	230 800km²₁
Location	Asia
Population	7.1m₂
Life Expectancy	68.06yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$7 700 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	LA, LAO, 418₅
Internet Domain	.la₆
Currency	Kip (LAK)₇
Telephone	+856₈

1. Overview

“Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th century under King FA NGUM. For 300 years Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the Communist Pathet Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. A gradual, limited return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1988. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997 and the WTO in 2013.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Laos, long a forgotten backwater, combines some of the best elements of Southeast Asia in one bite-sized destination. Pockets of pristine environment, a kaleidoscope of diverse cultures and quite possibly the most chilled-out people on earth have earned Laos cult status among travellers. Imagine a country where your pulse slows, smiles are genuine and the locals are still curious about you.Village life is refreshingly simple, and even in Vientiane it´s hard to believe this sort of languid riverfront life exists in a capital city. Magical Luang Prabang bears witness to hundreds of saffron-robed monks gliding through the streets in search of alms; it´s one of the region´s iconic images.Away from the cities, it´s easy to make a quick detour off the beaten track and end up in a fairytale landscape with jagged limestone cliffs, brooding jungle and the snaking Mekong River as a backdrop. Community-based trekking combines these natural attractions with a village homestay. The Lao people are wonderfully welcoming hosts and there is no better way to get to know their culture than by sharing their lives.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Laos National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₁
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
4	Hong Kong	0.952
5	Australia	0.951
	...
138	Sao Tome & Principe	0.618
139	Namibia	0.615
140	Vanuatu	0.607
141	Laos	0.607
142	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	0.607
143	Nepal	0.602
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₁
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
4	Luxembourg	$84 649
5	Ireland	$76 169
	...
120	Uzbekistan	$7 917
121	Cuba	$7 879
122	Vietnam	$7 867
123	Laos	$7 700
124	Swaziland	$7 679
125	Morocco	$7 303
	Asia Avg	$22 215
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂_,₁₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂_,₁₃
1	Taiwan	28.6
2	Norway	29.4
3	Denmark	31.2
4	Sweden	32.2
5	Finland	32.6
	...
143	Lesotho	106.3
144	Tonga	107.3
145	Libya	107.6
146	Laos	107.7
147	Sierra Leone	108.0
148	Cambodia	108.1
	Asia Avg	87.1
	World Avg	86.1
q=195.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Laos's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population

Population:

Laos's population is predicted to rise to 7.754 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.58. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

Population (2018)₂
Pos.		Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
4	Indonesia	267.7m
5	Pakistan	212.2m
	...
101	Togo	7.9m
102	Sierra Leone	7.7m
103	Hong Kong	7.4m
104	Laos	7.1m
105	Bulgaria	7.1m
106	Paraguay	7.0m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
4	Australia	84.5
5	Switzerland	84.0
	...
129	Guatemala	69.2
130	Moldova	68.8
131	Nepal	68.4
132	Laos	68.1
133	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	67.7
134	Sao Tome & Principe	67.6
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate (2013)₁₄
Pos.		2.0 is best₁₄
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
4	France	1.99
5	Turkey	2.04
	...
92	Cuba	1.45
93	India	2.55
94	Germany	1.44
95	Laos	2.58
96	Malaysia	2.58
97	Hungary	1.42
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)₁₅
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100₁₅
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
4	Burkina Faso	04.7
5	Sierra Leone	04.8
	...
51	UAE	07.7
52	Oman	07.8
53	Jordan	08.0
54	Laos	08.1
55	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	08.2
56	Belize	08.3
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants (2017)₁₆
Pos.		%₁₆
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
4	Liechtenstein	65.1%
5	Monaco	54.9%
	...
162	Mozambique	0.8%
163	Jamaica	0.8%
164	El Salvador	0.7%
165	Laos	0.7%
166	Nicaragua	0.7%
167	Nigeria	0.6%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants (2010)₁₇
Pos.		%₁₇
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
4	Grenada	65.5%
5	St Kitts & Nevis	61.1%
	...
98	Netherlands	6.0%
99	Italy	5.8%
100	Benin	5.8%
101	Laos	5.7%
102	Turkey	5.6%
103	Comoros	5.6%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Laos's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#antisemitism #equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to Asia (2020)₁₈_,₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈_,₁₉
1	Hong Kong	24.3
2	Taiwan	28.2
3	Japan	42.1
4	S. Korea	45.7
5	Cyprus	46.7
	...
26	Jordan	102.2
27	Cambodia	102.5
28	Kuwait	106.7
29	Laos	108.3
30	Maldives	110.7
31	Indonesia	111.2
32	Uzbekistan	111.3
	Asia Avg	99.8
q=51.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)₁₈_,₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈_,₁₉
1	Sweden	9.2
2	Norway	14.7
3	Denmark	14.7
4	Netherlands	15.8
5	New Zealand	17.5
	...
132	Kuwait	106.7
133	Nigeria	107.1
134	Togo	107.8
135	Laos	108.3
136	Zambia	108.8
137	Maldives	110.7
138	Indonesia	111.2
	World Avg	87.7
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark₁₈. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are The Solomon Islands, Somalia and Tuvalu₁₈.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are statistics on commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₈, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Micronesia and Australasia₁₈.

For more, see:

"Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Nominal Commitment to HR (2009)₂₀
Pos.		Higher is better Treaties₂₀
1	Argentina	24
2	Chile	23
3	Costa Rica	23
4	Ecuador	23
5	Germany	23
	...
153	Swaziland	11
154	Zimbabwe	11
155	Saudi Arabia	10
156	Laos	10
157	Solomon Islands	10
158	Qatar	10
	Asia Avg	12.7
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag (2019)₂₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₁
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
4	Colombia	3.68
5	Costa Rica	4.05
	...
97	Afghanistan	10.23
98	Dominican Rep.	10.24
99	Kuwait	10.36
100	Laos	10.53
101	Cambodia	10.56
102	Ghana	10.64
	Asia Avg	10.97
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom (2014)₂₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₂₂
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
4	Ireland	4
5	Denmark	5
	...
106	Malawi	106
107	Thailand	107
108	Lebanon	108
109	Laos	109
110	Ivory Coast	110
111	Ukraine	111
	Asia Avg	94.6
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Press Freedom (2013)₂₃
Pos.		Lower is better₂₃
1	Finland	638
2	Netherlands	648
3	Norway	652
4	Luxembourg	668
5	Andorra	682
	...
164	Bahrain	6275
165	Equatorial Guinea	6720
166	Djibouti	6740
167	Laos	6799
168	Yemen	6922
169	Sudan	7006
	Asia Avg	4378
	World Avg	3249
q=178.

Slavery (2018)₂₄
Pos.		Lower is better % Victims₂₄
1	Japan	0.03
2	Canada	0.05
3	Taiwan	0.05
4	Australia	0.06
5	New Zealand	0.06
	...
143	Macedonia	0.87
144	Swaziland	0.88
145	Thailand	0.89
146	Laos	0.94
147	Papua New Guinea	1.03
148	Belarus	1.09
	Asia Avg	0.79
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

Gender Equality:

The 1950s saw a late rush of 43 countries, including Laos and many developing nations, move to cease preventing women from voting. Laos is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women.

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

Gender Inequality (2015)₂₅
Pos.		Lower is better₂₅
1	Switzerland	0.04
2	Denmark	0.04
3	Netherlands	0.04
4	Sweden	0.05
5	Iceland	0.05
	...
103	Nicaragua	0.46
104	Paraguay	0.46
105	Indonesia	0.47
106	Laos	0.47
107	Dominican Rep.	0.47
108	Namibia	0.47
	Asia Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.36
q=159.

Year Women Can Vote
Pos.		Lower is better Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
4	Norway	1913
5	Denmark	1915
	...
113	Egypt	1956
114	Comoros	1956
115	Malaysia	1957
116	Laos	1958
117	Hungary	1958
118	Chad	1958
	Asia Avg	1907
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice:

Anti-Semite Opinions (2014)₂₆
Pos.		Lower is better %₂₆
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
4	Netherlands	5
5	Vietnam	6
6	UK	8
7	Denmark	9
8	USA	9
9	Tanzania	12
10	Thailand	13
11	Czechia	13
12	Canada	14
	Asia Avg	48.2
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

LGBT Equality (2017)₂₇
Pos.		Higher is better Score₂₇
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
4	Brazil	81
5	Spain	79
	...
90	Micronesia	20
91	Armenia	20
92	Mozambique	17
93	Laos	15
94	Haiti	15
95	Azerbaijan	15
	Asia Avg	-02.1
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought (2021)₂₈
Pos.		Lower is better₂₈
1	Belgium	1.0
2	Netherlands	1.0
3	Taiwan	1.0
4	Sao Tome & Principe	1.3
5	Ecuador	1.3
	...
88	Switzerland	3.0
89	Belize	3.0
90	Lesotho	3.0
91	Laos	3.0
92	Grenada	3.0
93	Finland	3.0
	Asia Avg	3.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Laos's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #Laos #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Asia (2020)₂₉_,₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₉_,₃₀
1	Hong Kong	18.3
2	Maldives	41.0
3	Singapore	42.6
4	Japan	51.0
5	S. Korea	51.3
	...
44	Afghanistan	103.8
45	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	105.6
46	Yemen	112.0
47	Philippines	112.9
48	Laos	115.9
49	Palestine	116.7
50	Iraq	130.9
	Asia Avg	80.1
q=50.

Health (2020)₂₉_,₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₉_,₃₀
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Hong Kong	18.3
3	Maldives	41.0
4	Singapore	42.6
5	Japan	51.0
	...
171	Micronesia	114.2
172	Argentina	114.9
173	Central African Rep.	115.5
174	Laos	115.9
175	Guinea-Bissau	116.4
176	Palestine	116.7
177	Cameroon	117.8
	World Avg	93.5
q=196.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Hong Kong and The Maldives₂₉. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Marshall Islands, S. Sudan and Palau₂₉.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and The Mediterranean₂₉, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Australasia and Africa₂₉.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Laos is a pretty unhealthy country. And finally, it does worse than average in its fertility rate₁₄, its smoking rate₃₁, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₂ (one of the worst in Asia), its adolescent birth rate₂₅, its average life expectancy₁₁, its immunizations take-up₃₃ and in its alcohol consumption rate₃₄ (amongst the highest in Asia). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the past 40 years.

Life Expectancy (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
4	Australia	84.5
5	Switzerland	84.0
	...
129	Guatemala	69.2
130	Moldova	68.8
131	Nepal	68.4
132	Laos	68.1
133	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	67.7
134	Sao Tome & Principe	67.6
	Asia Avg	73.48
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption (2016)₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita₃₄
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
4	Mauritania	0.0
5	Somalia	0.0
	...
150	Swaziland	9.9
151	Spain	10.0
152	S. Korea	10.2
153	Laos	10.4
154	Greece	10.4
155	Denmark	10.4
	Asia Avg	3.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate (2013)₁₄
Pos.		2.0 is best₁₄
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
4	France	1.99
5	Turkey	2.04
	...
92	Cuba	1.45
93	India	2.55
94	Germany	1.44
95	Laos	2.58
96	Malaysia	2.58
97	Hungary	1.42
	Asia Avg	2.46
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Smoking Rates (2014)₃₁
Pos.		Higher is worse₃₁
182	Montenegro	4 125
181	Belarus	3 831
180	Lebanon	3 023
179	Macedonia	2 732
178	Russia	2 690
	...
115	Turkmenistan	925₃₅
114	Thailand	895
113	Iran	869
112	Laos	836
111	Sweden	831
110	UK	827
	Asia Avg	1 035
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
4	UK	4
5	Norway	5
	...
120	Seychelles	120
121	Guinea-Bissau	121
122	Argentina	122
123	Laos	123
124	Antigua & Barbuda	124
125	Burkina Faso	125
	Asia Avg	64.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults (2016)₃₆
Pos.		Lower is better %₃₆
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
4	Ethiopia	20.9
5	Nepal	21.0
	...
18	Myanmar (Burma)	24.8
19	Rwanda	25.1
20	Congo, DR	25.3
21	Laos	25.4
22	Kenya	25.5
23	Central African Rep.	26.2
	Asia Avg	44.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)₂₅
Pos.		Lower is better Per 1000₂₅
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
4	Hong Kong	3.2
5	Slovenia	3.8
	...
126	Philippines	61.7
127	Mexico	62.8
128	Argentina	63.8
129	Laos	64.1
130	Honduras	65.0
131	El Salvador	65.2
	Asia Avg	29.9
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)₃₃
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %₃₃
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
4	Niue	98.8
5	Mongolia	98.7
	...
145	Zambia	84.2
146	Congo, (Brazzaville)	83.6
147	Cameroon	83.3
148	Laos	83.3
149	Djibouti	82.6
150	Uganda	82.5
	Asia Avg	90.5
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Laos's Modernity and Learning

#education #intelligence #it_security #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to Asia (2020)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Taiwan	10.0
2	Japan	21.9
3	S. Korea	24.0
4	Singapore	27.9
5	Israel	32.2
	...
41	Nepal	110.8
42	Bhutan	112.3
43	Bangladesh	112.9
44	Laos	115.2
45	Iraq	121.8
46	Syria	123.5
47	Myanmar (Burma)	127.0
	Asia Avg	79.0
q=51.

Modernity and Learning (2020)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Finland	8.4
2	Taiwan	10.0
3	Switzerland	15.1
4	Estonia	15.8
5	Denmark	16.0
	...
150	Rwanda	112.3
151	Bangladesh	112.9
152	Suriname	114.4
153	Laos	115.2
154	Cape Verde	116.3
155	Vanuatu	117.0
156	Nicaragua	117.7
	World Avg	83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Secondary Education (2018)₃₇
Pos.		Higher is better₃₇
1	Luxembourg	100.0%
2	Estonia	100.0%
3	Austria	100.0%
4	Canada	100.0%
5	Finland	100.0%
	...
125	Syria	41.0%
126	Sao Tome & Principe	40.8%
127	Togo	40.5%
128	Laos	40.4%
129	Algeria	38.9%
130	Guatemala	37.8%
	Asia Avg	66.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling (2021)₃₈
Pos.		Higher is better Years₃₈
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
4	Belgium	19.6
5	Sweden	19.4
	...
164	Marshall Islands	10.2
165	Mozambique	10.2
166	Uganda	10.1
167	Laos	10.1
168	Madagascar	10.1
169	Honduras	10.1
	Asia Avg	13.5
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
4	Denmark	4
5	UK	5
	...
97	St Vincent & Grenadines	97
98	Zimbabwe	98
99	Panama	99
100	Laos	100
101	Cameroon	101
102	Peru	102
	Asia Avg	97.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

IQ (2006)₃₉
Pos.		Higher is better₃₉
1	Hong Kong	108
2	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
4	Japan	105
5	Taiwan	105
	...
57	Kyrgyzstan	90
58	Chile	90
59	Costa Rica	89
60	Laos	89
61	Ecuador	88
62	Mexico	88
	Asia Avg	90.4
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users (2016)₄₀
Pos.		Higher is better₄₀
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
4	Bermuda	97%
5	Andorra	97%
	...
161	Mauritania	17%
162	S. Sudan	17%
163	Gambia	17%
164	Laos	16%
165	Namibia	16%
166	Turkmenistan	15%
	Asia Avg	48.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IT Security (2013)₄₁
Pos.		Lower is better₄₁
1	Ireland	0.11
2	Luxembourg	0.11
3	Belize	0.11
4	Hong Kong	0.12
5	Mexico	0.16
	...
35	Ivory Coast	0.82
36	Ethiopia	0.84
37	Iran	0.85
38	Laos	0.86
39	Spain	0.88
40	Kuwait	0.93
	Asia Avg	1.08
	World Avg	0.98
q=81.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)₄₂
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio₄₂
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
4	USA	35.0
5	Greece	33.5
	...
102	Colombia	0.0
103	Ghana	0.0
104	Yemen	0.0
105	Laos	0.0
106	Malta	0.0
107	Turkmenistan	0.0
	Asia Avg	2.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

7. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

On the Corruption Index, Laos scored on average 25.4 over the 2012-2016 period. Over the 10 years since then, it improved by 5.6 points.

World Giving Index (2013-2021)₄₃
Pos.		Lower is better₄₃
1	Myanmar (Burma)	2.7
2	New Zealand	4.0
3	USA	4.7
4	Australia	4.9
5	Indonesia	9.0
	...
97	Peru	82.9
98	Pakistan	83.0
99	Ethiopia	83.1
100	Laos	83.3
101	Afghanistan	83.5
102	Comoros	84.0
	Asia Avg	62.5
	World Avg	67.9
q=160.

Corruption (2022)₄₄
Pos.		Higher is better Points₄₄
1	Denmark	90.0
2	Finland	87.0
3	New Zealand	87.0
4	Norway	84.0
5	Singapore	83.0
	...
124	Dominican Rep.	32.0
125	Niger	32.0
126	Uzbekistan	31.0
127	Laos	31.0
128	Mexico	31.0
129	Bolivia	31.0
	Asia Avg	39.98
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness (2018)₄₅
Pos.		Higher is better₄₅
1	Finland	7.6
2	Norway	7.6
3	Denmark	7.6
4	Iceland	7.5
5	Switzerland	7.5
	...
107	Ivory Coast	4.7
108	Ghana	4.7
109	Senegal	4.6
110	Laos	4.6
111	Tunisia	4.6
112	Albania	4.6
	Asia Avg	5.29
	World Avg	5.38
q=156.

Creativity and Culture (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
4	Switzerland	4
5	Sweden	5
	...
142	Malawi	142
143	Benin	143
144	Cameroon	144
145	Laos	145
146	Nigeria	146
147	Equatorial Guinea	147
	Asia Avg	99.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid and Development (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
4	Netherlands	4
5	Switzerland	5
	...
109	Thailand	109
110	Ecuador	110
111	Malawi	111
112	Laos	112
113	China	113
114	S. Africa	114
	Asia Avg	86.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8. Peace Versus Instability

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index (2021)₄₆
Pos.		Lower is better₄₆
1	Iceland	1.10
2	New Zealand	1.25
3	Denmark	1.26
4	Portugal	1.27
5	Slovenia	1.32
	...
42	Mongolia	1.78
43	Indonesia	1.78
44	Serbia	1.80
45	Laos	1.81
46	Sierra Leone	1.81
47	Uruguay	1.82
	Asia Avg	2.22
	World Avg	2.08
q=163.

Peacekeeping and Security (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
4	Egypt	4
5	Nigeria	5
	...
102	Lesotho	102
103	Antigua & Barbuda	103
104	Latvia	104
105	Laos	105
106	Mozambique	106
107	Poland	107
	Asia Avg	76.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees and UN Treaties (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
4	Sweden	4
5	Malta	5
	...
156	Ivory Coast	156
157	St Lucia	157
158	Vietnam	158
159	Laos	159
160	Equatorial Guinea	160
161	Fiji	161
	Asia Avg	92.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism (2019)₄₇
Pos.		Lower is better Score₄₇
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
4	Equatorial Guinea	0.00
5	Cambodia	0.00
	...
53	Vietnam	1.00
54	Montenegro	1.00
55	Taiwan	1.01
56	Laos	1.03
57	Armenia	1.17
58	Senegal	1.19
	Asia Avg	3.60
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

9. The Natural Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #over-exploitation #the_environment

Forest Area Change 1990-2015 (2015)₄₈
Pos.		Higher is better %₄₈
1	Iceland	+205.6
2	Bahrain	+144.4
3	Uruguay	+131.3
4	Kuwait	+81.2
5	Dominican Rep.	+79.5
	...
50	Romania	+07.4
51	Cyprus	+07.2
52	Fiji	+06.7
53	Laos	+06.3
54	Poland	+06.3
55	Liechtenstein	+06.2
	Asia Avg	+07.0
	World Avg	+02.8
q=184.

Environmental Performance (2018)₄₉
Pos.		Higher is better₄₉
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
4	Malta	80.9
5	Sweden	80.5
	...
150	Cambodia	43.2
151	Solomon Islands	43.2
152	Iraq	43.2
153	Laos	42.9
154	Burkina Faso	42.8
155	Sierra Leone	42.5
	Asia Avg	54.5
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Convention on Biological Diversity
Pos.		Earlier is better Signed
1	China	1993 Dec 29
2	Guinea	1993 Dec 29
3	Cook Islands	1993 Dec 29
4	Vanuatu	1993 Dec 29
5	Papua New Guinea	1993 Dec 29
	...
159	Qatar	1996 Nov 19
160	Bahrain	1996 Nov 28
161	Turkmenistan	1996 Dec 17
162	Laos	1996 Dec 19
163	Haiti	1996 Dec 24
164	Croatia	1997 Jan 05
	Asia Avg	1899 Dec 30
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment (2011)₅₀
Pos.		Higher is better %₅₀
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
4	Trinidad & Tobago	74.5%
5	Costa Rica	74.2%
	...
47	Sudan	46.9%
48	Malaysia	46.6%
49	Mozambique	46.5%
50	Laos	45.3%
51	Slovenia	45.1%
52	Spain	44.8%
	Asia Avg	37.9%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy (2019)₅₁
Pos.		Higher is worse₅₁
184	Chad	40.90
183	Central African Rep.	40.10
182	Sierra Leone	39.00
181	Somalia	38.90
180	Nigeria	37.10
	...
142	Gabon	22.80
141	Myanmar (Burma)	22.80
140	Congo, (Brazzaville)	22.80
139	Laos	22.60
138	Bolivia	22.50
137	Kenya	22.50
	Asia Avg	11.80
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) (2017)₅₂
Pos.		Lower is better %₅₂
1	Ukraine	25.0
2	Belarus	25.4
3	Slovenia	25.4
4	Czechia	25.9
5	Moldova	25.9
	...
68	Gambia	35.9
69	Greece	36.0
70	Spain	36.2
71	Laos	36.4
72	Thailand	36.5
73	Fiji	36.7
	Asia Avg	35.2
	World Avg	38.1
q=152.

Multidimensional Poverty (2018)₅₃
Pos.		Lower is better Severity₅₃
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
4	Turkmenistan	.001
5	Jordan	.002
	...
48	Honduras	.090
49	Sao Tome & Principe	.092
50	Bolivia	.094
51	Laos	.108
52	Congo, (Brazzaville)	.112
53	India	.123
	Asia Avg	.084
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

11. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion

Disbelief In God (2007)₅₄
Pos.		Higher is better %₅₄
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
4	Czechia	61
5	Estonia	49
	...
47	Cambodia	7
48	Moldova	6
49	Italy	6
50	Laos	5
51	Ireland	5
52	Mozambique	5
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₅₅:

Christian	1.5%
Muslim	0.1%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	66%
Folk Religion	30.7%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.9%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Buddhist 67%, Christian 1.5%, other and unspecified 31.5% (2005 census)₅₆.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)₅₇, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for Laos states:

“The constitution provides for freedom of religion or belief. However, other laws and policies restrict this right. The prime minister's Decree on Religious Practice (Decree 92) is the principal legal instrument defining rules for religious practice; it institutionalizes the government's role as the final arbiter of permissible religious activities. Although the government does not recognize an official state religion, the government's exemption of Buddhism from many of the Decree 92 restrictions, sponsorship of Buddhist facilities, incorporation of Buddhist ritual and ceremony in state functions, and promotion of Buddhism as an element of the country's cultural and spiritual identity give Theravada Buddhism an elevated status₅₈.”
"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)₅₉

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