Primary energy use in Laos
Laos: Primary energy use was 84.59 terawatt-hours in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Primary energy use in Laos, 1980–2024
Source: Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
In 2024, primary energy use in Laos stood at 84.59 terawatt-hours. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.7% on the previous year and up 326.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary energy use in Laos peaked at 84.59 terawatt-hours in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.8844 terawatt-hours, in 1984.
That places Laos 93rd out of 219 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Primary energy use in Laos, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1.92 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1981 | 1.05 terawatt-hours | -45.5% |
| 1982 | 1.03 terawatt-hours | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 1.03 terawatt-hours | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 0.8844 terawatt-hours | -14.2% |
| 1985 | 0.949 terawatt-hours | +7.3% |
| 1986 | 1.11 terawatt-hours | +17.2% |
| 1987 | 1.12 terawatt-hours | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 1.1 terawatt-hours | -2.4% |
| 1989 | 1.28 terawatt-hours | +17.2% |
| 1990 | 1.31 terawatt-hours | +2.0% |
| 1991 | 1.44 terawatt-hours | +10.3% |
| 1992 | 1.5 terawatt-hours | +3.6% |
| 1993 | 1.58 terawatt-hours | +5.6% |
| 1994 | 1.59 terawatt-hours | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 1.82 terawatt-hours | +14.4% |
| 1996 | 2.05 terawatt-hours | +12.9% |
| 1997 | 2.21 terawatt-hours | +8.0% |
| 1998 | 2.19 terawatt-hours | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 2.18 terawatt-hours | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 5.04 terawatt-hours | +130.9% |
| 2001 | 5.37 terawatt-hours | +6.6% |
| 2002 | 5.63 terawatt-hours | +4.8% |
| 2003 | 6.13 terawatt-hours | +8.9% |
| 2004 | 6.34 terawatt-hours | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 7.3 terawatt-hours | +15.1% |
| 2006 | 9.04 terawatt-hours | +23.9% |
| 2007 | 9.57 terawatt-hours | +5.8% |
| 2008 | 10.63 terawatt-hours | +11.1% |
| 2009 | 12.19 terawatt-hours | +14.7% |
| 2010 | 13.69 terawatt-hours | +12.3% |
| 2011 | 14.54 terawatt-hours | +6.3% |
| 2012 | 16.61 terawatt-hours | +14.2% |
| 2013 | 18.62 terawatt-hours | +12.1% |
| 2014 | 19.83 terawatt-hours | +6.5% |
| 2015 | 37.29 terawatt-hours | +88.0% |
| 2016 | 58.77 terawatt-hours | +57.6% |
| 2017 | 69.28 terawatt-hours | +17.9% |
| 2018 | 71.49 terawatt-hours | +3.2% |
| 2019 | 73.07 terawatt-hours | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 66.8 terawatt-hours | -8.6% |
| 2021 | 69.89 terawatt-hours | +4.6% |
| 2022 | 64.63 terawatt-hours | -7.5% |
| 2023 | 77.81 terawatt-hours | +20.4% |
| 2024 | 84.59 terawatt-hours | +8.7% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 84.59 terawatt-hours is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 52.67 terawatt-hours, 1.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Laos's 84.59 terawatt-hours is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 56.44 terawatt-hours, 1.5× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Primary energy use in Laos changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +130.9% | 2.18 terawatt-hours | 5.04 terawatt-hours |
| 2015 | +88.0% | 19.83 terawatt-hours | 37.29 terawatt-hours |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.15 terawatt-hours | 0.8844 terawatt-hours | 1.92 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.79 terawatt-hours | 1.31 terawatt-hours | 2.21 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.72 terawatt-hours | 5.04 terawatt-hours | 12.19 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 39.32 terawatt-hours | 13.69 terawatt-hours | 73.07 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 72.74 terawatt-hours | 64.63 terawatt-hours | 84.59 terawatt-hours | 5 |
Countries ranked near Laos
- 90 Puerto Rico 89.3 terawatt-hours compare
- 91 Cambodia 87.63 terawatt-hours compare
- 92 Bosnia and Herzegovina 87.51 terawatt-hours compare
- 94 Cuba 84.26 terawatt-hours compare
- 95 Cote d'Ivoire 83.41 terawatt-hours compare
- 96 Iceland 82.41 terawatt-hours compare
More energy & mining data for Laos
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 8.72 % change on previous year (2024)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fuel imports 18.8% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary energy use in Laos?
- Primary energy use in Laos was 84.59 terawatt-hours in 2024, according to Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary energy use recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 84.59 terawatt-hours in 2024.
- What is the lowest primary energy use recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.8844 terawatt-hours in 1984.
- How does Laos rank for primary energy use?
- Laos ranks 93rd out of 219 countries with data for 2024.
- Is primary energy use rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 326.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary energy use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours of total energy supply.