lao economy
Laos’s economic freedom score is 51.2, making its economy the 144th freest in the 2014 Index. Its overall score is 1.1 points higher than last year, with improvements in five of the 10 economic freedoms, including investment freedom, fiscal freedom, and monetary freedom, outweighing declines in business freedom and freedom from corruption. Laos is ranked 31st out of 42 countries in the Asia–Pacific region, and its overall score is below the world and regional averages.
Over the 19 years during which Laos has been graded in the Index, its economic freedom score has advanced by nearly 13 points. Its overall score improvement has been broad, occurring in seven of the 10 economic freedoms. Notable score gains have been recorded in fiscal freedom, business freedom, and investment freedom, scores for which have increased by over 20 points. Laos has been out of the ranks of the economically “repressed” since 2007.