● Lao-owned · Vientiane · 15 years in the Lao market
BUSINESS IN LAOS
Laos Enterprise Statistics
Official registration data by province, legal form, investor country, sector and year, retrieved from the National Enterprise Database.
QUICK ANSWER
The Lao National Enterprise Database shows 202,233 active registered enterprises in records dated through 2024, based on a query run on 5 November 2026. Individual enterprises make up 81.4%, Vientiane Capital holds 30.8%, and enterprises with a foreign investor country account for 7.3%, led by China, Vietnam and Thailand.
At a Glance
REGISTERED ENTERPRISES
202,233
LARGEST PROVINCE
Vientiane Capital (62,226)
LARGEST LEGAL FORM
Individual enterprise (164,703)
LARGEST FOREIGN INVESTOR COUNTRY
China (9,287)
PEAK RECORDED YEAR
2024 (21,313)
By Legal Form
| Legal form | Enterprises | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Individual enterprise | 164,703 | 81.4% |
| Sole limited company | 26,355 | 13.0% |
| Limited company | 10,166 | 5.0% |
| Limited partnership | 659 | 0.3% |
| Co-operative | 138 | 0.1% |
| State company | 101 | 0.0% |
| Ordinary partnership | 75 | 0.0% |
| Public company | 23 | 0.0% |
| Mixed company | 13 | 0.0% |
By Province
| Province | Enterprises | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vientiane Capital | 62,226 | 30.8% |
| Champasak | 17,802 | 8.8% |
| Vientiane Province | 17,585 | 8.7% |
| Xayabury | 13,674 | 6.8% |
| Luangprabang | 11,999 | 5.9% |
| Savannakhet | 11,740 | 5.8% |
| Xiengkhuang | 10,689 | 5.3% |
| Khammuane | 7,697 | 3.8% |
| Bokeo | 7,448 | 3.7% |
| Oudomxay | 7,405 | 3.7% |
| Huaphanh | 6,449 | 3.2% |
| Luangnamtha | 6,148 | 3.0% |
| Borikhamxay | 5,528 | 2.7% |
| Saravane | 4,563 | 2.3% |
| Phongsaly | 3,285 | 1.6% |
| Xaysomboun | 3,009 | 1.5% |
| Sekong | 2,530 | 1.3% |
| Attapeu | 2,456 | 1.2% |
By Investor Country
Enterprises with a non-Lao investor country total 14,697. The top 15 are below.
| Country | Enterprises | Share of foreign |
|---|---|---|
| China | 9,287 | 63.2% |
| Vietnam | 2,659 | 18.1% |
| Thailand | 828 | 5.6% |
| Korea, South | 635 | 4.3% |
| France | 153 | 1.0% |
| Japan | 145 | 1.0% |
| Malaysia | 114 | 0.8% |
| United States of America | 102 | 0.7% |
| India | 98 | 0.7% |
| Australia | 97 | 0.7% |
| Singapore | 73 | 0.5% |
| Canada | 50 | 0.3% |
| Cambodia | 44 | 0.3% |
| Russia | 40 | 0.3% |
| United Kingdom | 31 | 0.2% |
By Sector
These are activity counts, not companies. An enterprise can operate in several sectors and is counted in each, so the total (1,022,475) exceeds the number of enterprises.
| Sector | Registrations |
|---|---|
| Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 562,239 |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 94,890 |
| Manufacturing | 61,703 |
| Transportation and storage | 60,985 |
| Accommodation and food service activities | 56,514 |
| Construction | 43,918 |
| Administrative and support service activities | 31,714 |
| Other service activities | 26,664 |
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | 25,781 |
| Real estate activities | 12,202 |
| Information and communication | 11,639 |
| Mining and quarrying | 11,329 |
| Financial and insurance activities | 6,959 |
| Education | 5,296 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 4,991 |
| Human health and social work activities | 3,037 |
| Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply | 1,446 |
| Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities | 840 |
| Public administration and defence; compulsory social security | 249 |
| Activities of households as employers | 70 |
| Activities of extraterritorial organizations and bodies | 9 |
By Registration Year
| Year | Enterprises |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 3,987 |
| 2009 | 21,564 |
| 2010 | 11,826 |
| 2011 | 6,855 |
| 2012 | 8,864 |
| 2013 | 9,604 |
| 2014 | 8,806 |
| 2015 | 8,513 |
| 2016 | 9,143 |
| 2017 | 9,371 |
| 2018 | 9,172 |
| 2019 | 12,758 |
| 2020 | 11,760 |
| 2021 | 11,520 |
| 2022 | 16,711 |
| 2023 | 20,361 |
| 2024 | 21,313 |
Annual registrations rose from about 8,500 in 2015 to 21,313 in 2024. The database also returns 104 records for 2000, none for 2001 to 2007, and only 1 for 2025, so treat years before 2008 and after 2024 as incomplete.
How to Use These Numbers
- The database excludes enterprises that have ceased trading.
- NED warns that some district data may not be up to date.
- Provincial counts reflect where a business is registered, not necessarily where it operates.
- The database also reports capital values, but we leave them out because the totals span many years and sector totals double-count capital.
- The license inventory publishes different sector figures, so do not mix the two sources in one calculation.
You can re-run these reports on the official statistics page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many companies are registered in Laos?
The National Enterprise Database shows 202,233 active enterprises across all legal forms in our 5 November 2026 query. Of those, 36,521 are limited or sole limited companies, and 164,703 are individual enterprises.
Which country has the most registered enterprises in Laos?
Among foreign investor countries, China leads with 9,287, followed by Vietnam with 2,659 and Thailand with 828. Lao investors account for 187,536.
Which province has the most businesses?
Vientiane Capital, with 62,226. Champasak (17,802) and Vientiane Province (17,585) follow.
What is the most common business form in Laos?
The individual enterprise, at 81.4% of registrations. Sole limited companies are next at 13.0%.
What is the largest business sector in Laos?
Wholesale and retail trade has the most registrations, at 562,239. Enterprises can appear in more than one sector.
Related Guides
Planning to Enter the Lao Market?
AQQOUNT provides market research and setup support across Laos.
Last reviewed: November 2026
Official sources:
- National Enterprise Database: statistics
- Query: all provinces, countries and types, 1 Jan 1990 to 31 Dec 2026, run 5 Nov 2026
See also: Business in Laos (overview).