🇱🇦 Laos: Politics & Democracy
By V-Dem's measure, no — Laos scores 11.0 on the 0–100 liberal democracy index, which places it firmly in the autocratic range.
Current leaders
Thongloun Sisoulith
Head of State · Lao People's Revolutionary Party
Sonexay Siphandone
Head of Government
Democracy trend
Voting alignment
Laos's closest UN General Assembly voting partners since 1946:
Frequently asked questions
Is Laos a democracy?
By V-Dem's measure, no — Laos scores 11.0 on the 0–100 liberal democracy index, which places it firmly in the autocratic range. It ranks #140 of 179 countries in 2025.
Is democracy in Laos improving or declining?
Laos's V-Dem liberal democracy score has improved by 2.1 points over the past decade, standing at 11.0 in 2025 (1-year change: −0.7).
Who leads Laos?
Thongloun Sisoulith is Laos's head of state (Lao People's Revolutionary Party); Sonexay Siphandone serves as head of government.