Economy of Laos

Economy Of Laos

The economy of the Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic is rapidly growing, as the government began to decentralise control and encourage private enterprise in 1986. It opened a stock exchange in 2011, and has become a rising regional player in its role as a hydroelectric power supplier to neighbors such as China, Vietnam and Thailand, although the country remains one of the poorest countries in South-East Asia. A landlocked country, it has inadequate infrastructure and a largely unskilled work force. The country's per capita income in 2009 was estimated to be $2,700 on a purchasing power parity-basis.