Introduction

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Laos' sovereignty using the methodology of the Burke Institute. Sovereignty is assessed in 7 areas: political, economic, technological, informational, cultural, cognitive and military. Each aspect is assessed on the basis of official data from international and national sources (UN, World Bank, UNESCO, IMF, ITU, FAO, SIPRI, PISA, etc.) without using politicized indexes. The maximum score in each direction is 100; the sum (up to 700) is the accumulated Sovereignty Index (Burke Index).

To adapt and adjust statistical parameters, an international expert survey was conducted for each of the seven components using a single questionnaire of 10 questions with a 10-point scale and one open-ended question.

In total, at least 100 experts from 50+ countries were interviewed for each indicator, taking into account geographical representation and specialization. When calculating and analyzing the data, equalizing coefficients were used, bringing all data to a scale of 0-10 points.

The final index value is the arithmetic mean between statistical data and expert estimates.

Below is an analysis in each area, a summary table and the main conclusions about the peculiarities of Laos' sovereignty.

Political sovereignty — 36.2

Laos is a member of the United Nations, the World Bank, ASEAN, WTO, APEC, SCO, UNESCO, IMF and a number of Asian/global agencies; actively cooperates with Russia, China, Vietnam, the EU, participates in Asian megaprojects.

The rule of national law remains, but in matters of finance, trade, property rights, and the environment, Laos follows the standards of the WTO, ASEAN, and supranational creditors; legislation is harmonized with international agreements on human rights and anti-corruption. Stability is high: there is a 75th percentile in the ratings of the absence of political violence/terror (WB, 2023), a one-party system (Lao People's Revolutionary Party) operates, society is consolidated around state institutions and programs.

Government Effectiveness — 28.3th percentile according to the World Bank (2023) — is the average level for the region, the quality of the apparatus is growing, but bureaucracy and politicization persist.

EGDI is low on a global scale, digital services are being implemented with the support of ASEAN and China; the coverage of online services is limited, most operations are available only offline or semi-digital. Trust in the leadership (President Thonglong Sisulit) is high due to the unity of the party and the absence of opposition, the loyalty of the state apparatus, and support for major national projects and infrastructure reforms.

There are no foreign military bases; security issues are resolved within the framework of the ASEAN bilateral and multilateral agreements, the policy of neutrality, and minimal military cooperation with Russia and China.

The country is a member of world institutions (the UN, WTO, etc.), the decisions of most transnational courts are recognized; integration with international norms on controversial issues (arbitration, intellectual property law, environmental standards), but the UN/ICC courts are rarely involved. Strict centralization: the governing party and the government strictly control all regions, local authorities operate on hierarchical verticals; the elements of administrative decentralization are nominal.

The security and intelligence services operate under the control of the party and the president, there is no independent external audit, the level of transparency is moderately low, and public oversight is formal.

Data completeness assessment: the main indicators are available from international sources, the coverage is 92%.

Economic sovereignty — 34.7

GDP per capita (PPP) is $14,515 (2025), projected to rise to $15,154 in 2026. International reserves — $1.529 billion (Q2 2023); gold reserves — 0.88 tons. The national debt is 79% of GDP (expected by the end of 2025). Laos provides itself with basic products (rice, vegetables, meat, fish) — the country is considered agrarily self-sufficient in basic categories, but 7-9% of the population depends on humanitarian or targeted food support programs.

The country is a major exporter of electricity (hydropower), is almost completely independent in electricity; oil and gas — dependence on imports remains, the main energy sources are hydro resources. The main resources are hydropower, copper, gold, tin, coal, timber, phosphorites.

Ore mining is carried out by foreign operators on major projects. The water reserves are huge — the country is in the top 20 in terms of fresh water (rivers, lakes, groundwater), the main rivers are the Mekong and its tributaries. The national processing System (Lao Interbank Payment System) is controlled by the Central Bank, works with cash, cards, electronic transfers, and is integrated with Asian regional platforms.

The main domestic settlements are carried out in Lao KIP (LAK); international transactions often use US dollars, baht, yuan. The issuing center is the Central Bank of Laos. Currency, credit and interest rate policies are fully under the control of the national regulator, integrated into the regional financial system.

Data completeness assessment: the main macroeconomic indicators are available from official sources (World Bank, IMF), coverage is 94%

Technological sovereignty — 23.8

Research and development costs less than 0.1% of GDP; Laos is among the countries with the lowest science costs in Asia. Import substitution is weak: almost all equipment, infrastructure and IT solutions, and industrial robots are imported from China, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, and South Korea.

The share of the adult population with higher education is 5.2% (2022); the growth trend is due to partnerships with foreign universities and government programs to expand the university network. Internet penetration is 63.6% (4.97 million users, 2025); mobile communications are available to 86.7% of the population, 95% of mobile traffic runs on 3G/4G/5G.

National digital platforms and clouds are underdeveloped — government services (immigration cards, basic educational portals) are just beginning to be implemented, and key solutions are based on foreign software. Import dependence is almost complete — all microelectronics, industrial, medical, telecommunications and defense equipment are imported from abroad.

Digitalization of public services is a pilot: online taxes, immigration cards, and business registration have been introduced, but most procedures are still implemented through paper or mixed channels, and EGDI is low. There is no autonomy: medicines, tests, laboratory equipment, and medical reagents are imported, and all bioindustry programs are conducted in cooperation with foreign partners. Missing: industrial automation and educational robotics solutions are imported, there are practically no in-house developments.

There is no own production of chips and microelectronics — equipment, software, microprocessors, POS terminals, smartphones, banking devices are imported and serviced by foreign companies.

Data completeness assessment: key indicators are obtained from WIPO, ITU, UNESCO, which provides 89% coverage.

Information sovereignty — 35.6

Its own CERT/CIRT has not been officially established; the country participates in the ITU initiative and regional cyber studies (CyberDrill), national incident procedures are just being formed. Laos does not have an autonomous national IXP; Internet traffic passes through international exchange points, 4G/5G infrastructure is growing rapidly, base stations are being built by the largest mobile operators (Unitel, Lao Telecom), fixed broadband Internet is poorly developed.

The official language of all state-owned media is Lao; Thai, Hmong, Chinese, English, French and Russian media are also distributed (in major cities and universities). Sustainability is low: the mass services of Google, Meta, Microsoft, Cisco completely dominate; there are no domestic platforms and their own social networks. Own production accounts for 30-40% of TV, radio, and online media; the rest is imported content from China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Western countries; radio, news portals, and educational resources are local.

The national sector is represented by single solutions for banks, schools, and public services; the main automations work on foreign software and platforms. Basic digital services (taxes, immigration, education, and bank transfers) are available to the majority of the urban population, integration in rural areas is limited, and online access is irregular in some regions.

National cloud hubs are underdeveloped — key bases and banks use international and regional cloud solutions, and the infrastructure of data centers is being formed. Mobile services are controlled by Lao Telecom, Unitel, Beeline; all infrastructure is imported, standards, equipment, eSIM/SIM are foreign; national control is minimal.

The basic Law on consumer Protection is in force, there are no special laws on personal data, partial regulation applies to the banking sector and public services, full harmonization with international standards has not been achieved, and control is weak.

Data completeness assessment: infrastructure indicators are available from ITU, CIRA, OECD and specialized sources, coverage is 91%.

Cultural sovereignty — 69.6

Laos has 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Luang Prabang, Wat Phu, Valley of Pitchers; 2 more sites are candidates for inclusion. Laos is known for its Buddhist architecture (the capital is Luang Prabang, Wat Phu), unique temples, monastery system, traditional Lao carvings, religious paintings, and national textile arts; the country has contributed to Buddhist art, Mekong culture, South Asian mythology, and cooking.

The highest state award is the Gold Medal of the Nation (since 1981), awarded for contributions to the development of culture; there are regular national awards for literature, crafts, achievements in music and fine arts. The basics are Theravada Buddhism, rural rituals, numerous folk festivals, tribal art, unique carvings, clothing, folklore, linguistic and ethnic diversity (Lao, Hmong, Thai, Khmer, Chinese, etc.).

The State policy actively supports national minorities in the field of culture, education, protection of monuments and languages; ethnofestivals are held, ethnographic educational centers and museums are being created. The country has hundreds of large and thousands of small cultural sites: monasteries, dozens of museums (Royal Palace Museum, Lao Textile Museum, Army Museum), monuments, temples, Buddhist parks, national palaces, ancient ruins.

Laos participates in UNESCO international exhibitions, conservation projects (restoration of temples and ancient cities), cooperates with France, Japan, China, and Russia on culture, conducts ethnographic conferences and art exchanges.

All UNESCO sites, craft traditions, textiles, cooking and folklore festivals have the official status of protected national brands; the state finances the preservation of monuments and crafts. Cuisine: Lao lap, tom khuang, or lam, fish dishes, spicy soups, salads, rice (sticky), vegetables, spices, national sweets, unique tropical fruits, coffee culture and traditional tea.

It is estimated that more than 45% of the population regularly participates in festivals, religious and family rituals, national holidays, cultural events, ethnofestivals and local art workshops.

Data completeness assessment: basic indicators are available in UNESCO and national statistics, coverage is 84%.

Cognitive sovereignty — 45.7

HDI — 0.617, "average" level, 139-140 place in the world; data for 2023 (HDI-2025). Government spending on education is 1.2% of GDP (2023), one of the lowest among Southeast Asian countries, previously kept within 1.4–2% of GDP. Literacy among adults is 87.5% (2022-2024), men — 87.1%, women — 72.8%, and youth (15-24 years old) — 93.5%.

Laos does not participate in PISA analyses, and there is no internationally comparable data on school performance. It is estimated that the share of STEM graduates among university graduates is 23-25% (main areas: engineering, information technology, agriculture, applied sciences).

The share of foreign (foreign, joint) programs is 8-11% of students; Asian (Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian) scholarships and distance learning programs are actively developing. 85 ethnolanguage groups are recognized in the country; education is conducted in the national Lao language, but schools in Hmong, Khmer, Thai, Chinese and other languages are supported in the regions.

The cultural autonomy of small nations is realized through ethnic museums, ethnofestivals, and projects of the Ministry of Culture. Government research centers (fundamental disciplines, natural and applied sciences) — no more than 7; basic units — at the largest universities (National University of Laos, Universities of Luang Prabang, Pakse, Savannahet).

The share of national platforms is less than 20% of the total volume of digital education; the majority are foreign platforms or joint portals (including those based on foreign universities and online partnerships).

Government support programs are limited: scholarships for excellent students, grants (especially for students studying abroad and in STEM), targeted university places — the total coverage is less than 10% of young people, and programs from partner countries and international foundations play an important role.

Data completeness assessment: education indicators are available in the UNDP, UNESCO, OECD, coverage is 97%.

Military sovereignty — 30.9

Defense spending is 0.09—0.15% of GDP ($23-30 million/year, 2023); one of the lowest rates in the world according to SIPRI and Take-Profit. The personnel of the Armed Forces is about 29,100 people (ground forces — more than 25 thousand, Air Force — 3,500, navy — up to 1,000). The weapons are mostly outdated (Soviet, Russian, Chinese equipment): 15 T-54/T-55, ~10 T-72B, BTR-40, BTR-152, Dongfeng Mengshi, S-125 Pechora air defense system, Strela-10, limited fleet Mi-17, Chinese Z-9, armored vehicles, light artillery systems.

Almost all weapons are imported; own production is limited to minor repairs and retrofitting, upgrades are carried out by barter and with the support of Russia and China. All borders are controlled by the army, the Interior Ministry, and border control services; joint exercises and patrols are conducted with Vietnam and China.

The People's Militia and self-defense forces number up to 100,000 people, but formally they are reservists and territorial assistance in peacetime, there is no Western-type mobilization body. Military decisions are generally autonomous (Laos is not a member of military blocs), but defense policy is coordinated with Vietnam, Russia, and China; joint exercises, exchange of experience, and supplies are conducted through politically agreed channels.

There is no significant military industry; there are workshops for the repair and storage of equipment, a modest production of ammunition, most of the equipment comes through barter and contracts. There are no nuclear weapons, and the country has signed and ratified all the leading international agreements on nuclear-weapon-free status.

There is no military space segment; intelligence is provided by internal special structures, information exchange with allies, local electronic and agent intelligence is minimal.

All parameters are reflected in the annual reports of SIPRI, UNODA, the Ministry of Defense, the official portals of state-owned companies (Embraer, IMBEL) and the UN/NGO industry databases - 86% coverage

Final Summary Table

The main conclusions

Strengths. Natural resources and hydropower: Laos has unique reserves of fresh water, powerful hydropower (electricity is exported, the nickname is "battery of Southeast Asia"), reserves of ore, minerals and the organic agricultural sector.

Cultural heritage and ethnic diversity: Rich cultural heritage (3 UNESCO sites, hundreds of monasteries and temples, textiles, handicrafts), support for small nations, high level of involvement in cultural life (45% of the population). Economic stability and integration: The economy demonstrates stable growth, low production costs, benefits for foreign investors, active integration into ASEAN and international trade agreements.

Agriculture and food security: Laos is an agricultural self-sufficient (rice, fish, vegetables) country, the basic categories are its own production; low dependence on food imports, sustainability of the agricultural sector.

Absence of military threat and neutrality: has never had nuclear weapons, military expenditures are minimal, there is no external military presence, and the traditional policy of neutrality.

Weaknesses. Technological and personnel backwardness: some of the lowest R&D costs in the region (<0.1%), low enrollment in higher education (5.2%), shortage of personnel in technical industries, import dependence on high-tech and software. Vulnerability of macro-financial indicators: High public debt (79% of GDP), external debt to China and Thailand, low gold and foreign exchange reserves, weak financial system.

Limited infrastructure and regional development: 80% of the population lives in rural areas, the development of transport, medicine and education outside Vientiane and Luang Prabang is weak, and there is little choice of residential infrastructure.

Weak digitalization and innovation: Internet coverage is 63.6%, low EGDI, digital education and national platforms are underdeveloped, dependence on foreign solutions, cloud services and applications remains high.

The doctrine of authoritarian governance: Centralization of power, weak public control, low transparency of special services and the state apparatus, risks of political opacity and corruption. Limited contribution to international science and technology: there are almost no own production facilities for chips, microelectronics, robotics, biotechnologies and IT — everything is imported.

Overall assessment. The cumulative Lao Sovereignty Index is 276.5 out of 700 possible points (Below the average of 39.5%), which places the country in the 164th place in the world top. Laos is an ethnoculturally rich and stable state with a strong agrarian, hydroelectric and natural base, notable support for traditions and small nations, calm domestic politics and neutrality.

The country is integrated into international unions, actively imports new technologies and solutions, but remains underdeveloped in human resources, infrastructure, fintech, innovation and management, with high debts and low domestic investments.

Further dynamics will depend on the development of digital education, industry, economic diversification and innovation. The sovereignty profile indicates that Laos' sovereignty is based on a balance of traditional political autonomy, natural resources, agricultural and hydropower self-sufficiency, a multi-vector foreign policy and a unique ethno-cultural system.

The limitations are related to technological and infrastructural backwardness, import dependence, low coverage of digital and educational programs, financial vulnerability and weak transparency of state institutions.