World Sites & Apps
Asia · #106 · 2025–2026

Laos: internet and everyday apps

Laos has about 4.8 million people online — a penetration rate of 61.5% and rank #106 worldwide. This page walks through the local digital scene, the app categories people lean on, and 13 apps worth knowing.

Internet users 4.8 million Penetration 61.5% World rank #106 Updated 2026-11-12
Language ລາວEnglish
TL;DR
  • Laos has roughly 4.8 million internet users (4,800,000 people) — about 61.5% of the population and rank #106 globally.
  • The apps people open most: WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook, Instagram. They cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Mobility, Food, Tools, Gaming and more.
  • The one to know first: WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

Laos in numbers

2025–2026
Internet users
4.8 million4,800,000 · #106
Penetration
61.5%#160
Population
7.8 million7,800,000 · #103
GDP
$17B#142
GDP growth
+4.1%#68
GDP per person
$2,115#175
Land area
236.8k km²#83
Capital
Vientiane
Region
Asia
Official languages
Lao

How Laos goes online

Lao television and Thai dramas blur together in Vientiane, and that mix shows up online too. Facebook is where people follow news, sell motorbikes and complain about the roads, while WhatsApp handles the quieter conversations with family and friends abroad. Mobile coverage is what makes any of this work outside the city, though the signal thins as you leave the main roads. BCEL One has made QR payments normal in markets and cafés, even if plenty of transactions still end with cash.

Around 61.5%. With a population of about 7.8 million and 4.8 million online, roughly 3 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

All 13 apps below are grouped by category.

What people actually use

13 Most-used apps

Messaging

2 Most-used apps →
WhatsApp Messaging · Meta · 2009 Messenger Messaging · Meta · 2011

Social

2 Most-used apps →
Facebook Social · Meta · 2004 Instagram Social · Meta · 2010

Video

2 Most-used apps →
YouTube Video · Google · 2005 TikTok Video · ByteDance · 2016

Shopping

2 Most-used apps →
Shopee Shopping · Sea Group · 2015 Lazada Shopping · 阿里巴巴 · 2012

Mobility

1 Most-used apps →
Grab Mobility · Grab Holdings · 2012

Food

1 Most-used apps →
foodpanda Food · Delivery Hero · 2012

Tools

2 Most-used apps →
Google Tools · Google · 1998 Gmail Tools · Google · 2004

Gaming

1 Most-used apps →
Garena Free Fire Gaming · Garena · 2017

Websites people in Laos actually use

9

The 9 sites locals open most often — news, shopping, search, banking and government services. Every link goes to the official site.

News2Banking2Telecom2Utilities1Transport1Mail1
Vientiane TimesNewsvientianetimes.org.laEnglish daily, read by officials, expats and business people. KPLNewskpl.gov.laState news agency, the official line on government and the economy. BCELBankingbcel.com.laMain bank; salaries, transfers and the BCEL One app. Bank of Lao PDRBankingbol.gov.laThe central bank: kip rates and monetary policy. UnitelTelecomunitel.com.laMobile operator for data bundles, top-ups and home internet. Lao TelecomTelecomlaotel.comThe state telecom, main provider of fixed lines and broadband. Electricité du LaosUtilitiesedl.com.laThe state electricity utility — bills, payment points and the outage notices published during the dry season. Lao AirlinesTransportlaoairlines.comThe flag carrier, linking Vientiane with Luang Prabang, Kunming and Bangkok. Lao PostMaillaopost.com.laLetters and international parcels, with branches down to provincial level.

2808 websites →

Frequently asked questions

6 Q&A
How many people in Laos are online?

About 4.8 million (4,800,000 people). That works out to roughly 61.5% of the population, which puts Laos at #106 in the world for total internet users. Figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026, which draws on ITU and national statistics.

Which apps do people in Laos use most?

Mostly WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook, Instagram — they cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Mobility, Food, Tools, Gaming. The full list, grouped by category, is further down this page.

What is the leading Messaging app in Laos?

WhatsApp, Messenger dominate this space. The best-known is WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

How high is internet penetration in Laos?

Around 61.5%. With a population of about 7.8 million and 4.8 million online, roughly 3 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

Where do these app facts come from?

Usage figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026 (Kepios, based on ITU and national statistics); app details come from each product’s official site. Updated 2026-11-12.

Which websites are most popular in Laos?

The everyday ones are Vientiane Times, KPL, BCEL, plus the other 9 sites listed above. They cover news, shopping, search, banking and official paperwork, and every link points to the official site.

Sources

Updated 2026-11-12
Cite this pageWorld Sites & Apps. “Laos: internet and everyday apps”. 2026. https://abcvv.com/c/la-en.html