Laos is a lower-middle-income country in East Asia and the Pacific with 7.9 million people. Heat makes up 52% of the energy it uses, above the world average of about 47%.
Most of the heat comes from wood and other biomass (77%), followed by coal (18%). Only 10% of people have access to clean cooking, so much of the wood and charcoal is burned for cooking. In total, 23% of the heat comes from coal, oil and gas. Electricity makes up 25% of energy use and is generated mainly from hydropower (75%).
The country
| Population | 7.9 million2025 |
|---|---|
| GDP per capita | US$ 2,3202025 |
| Area | 236,800 km²2024 |
| Urban population | 40%2025 |
| Access to electricity | 96%2024 |
| Access to clean cooking | 10%2024 |
| Final energy use | 46 TWh2023 |
Where the energy goes
- Heat52%
- Electricity25%
- Transport23%
Heat in five numbers
| Heatshare of all final energy use | 52% |
|---|---|
| Fossil heatshare of heat that comes from coal, oil and gas | 23% |
| Biomass and wastethe largest single source of heat | 77% |
| Electricityshare of final energy use, excluding transport | 25% |
| Fossil electricityshare of electricity generated from coal, oil and gas | 25% |
Heat is all fuel and district heating used in industry, buildings and agriculture. Electricity that becomes heat, for example in electric cookers and water heaters, is counted as electricity because no data is available, so the true heat share is somewhat higher.
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