The CIA World Factbook Every edition, 2006 to 2025 Southeast Asia
Trafficking in persons Laos, in 9 editions.
The entry for Laos published Trafficking in persons in 9 editions of 36, from 2006 to 2025. The text changed in 5 editions. Each is shown as published. Trafficking in persons in every entry.
- editions changed the text
- 5
- the first edition with it
- 2006
- the latest edition with it
- 2025
Published as “Trafficking in persons” (2006 to 2025).
field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe edition shownChoose an edition on the strip beside the text, or step through them with the arrows. Mark changes compares it with the edition before: the marks are ours, words added and words removed.
2025 edition
Changed since 2024- current situation:
- Laos is a source country for men and women trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation;
- a significant number are economic migrants who are subjected to commercial sexual exploitation or conditions of forced or bonded labor in Thailand;
- to a lesser extent, Laos is a transit and destination country for women who are trafficked for sexual exploitation including a small number of victims from China and Vietnam trafficked to work as street vendors and for sexual exploitation in prostitution
- tier rating:
- Tier 3 - Laos does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so
current situation: Laos is a source country for men and women trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation; a significant number are economic migrants who are subjected to commercial sexual exploitation or conditions of forced or bonded labor in Thailand; to a lesser extent, Laos is a transit and destination country for women who are trafficked for sexual exploitation including a small number of victims from China and Vietnam trafficked to work as street vendors and for sexual exploitation in prostitution
tier rating: Tier 3 - Laos does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so
The entry for Laos did not include Trafficking in persons.
- current situation:
- Laos is a source and, to a lesser extent, transit and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking;
- Lao economic migrants may encounter conditions of forced labor or sexual exploitation in destination countries, most often Thailand;
- Lao women and girls are exploited in Thailand’s commercial sex trade, domestic service, factories, and agriculture;
- Lao men and boys are victims of forced labor in the Thai fishing, construction, and agriculture industries;
- some Vietnamese and Chinese women and girls are subjected to sex trafficking in Laos while others are trafficked through Laos to neighboring countries, particularly Thailand;
- some Lao adults and children are subject to sex and labor exploitation domestically
- tier rating:
- Tier 2 Watch List – Laos does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking;
- however, it is making significant efforts to do so;
- authorities sustained moderate efforts to prosecute and convict trafficking offenders;
- the government failed to identify victims exploited within the country or among those deported from abroad;
- the government relies almost entirely on local and international organizations to implement its anti-trafficking programs, including providing assistance to trafficking victims (2014)
Rewritten: too little of the 2006 text remains to mark the changes.
current situation: Laos is a source and, to a lesser extent, transit and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Lao economic migrants may encounter conditions of forced labor or sexual exploitation in destination countries, most often Thailand; Lao women and girls are exploited in Thailand’s commercial sex trade, domestic service, factories, and agriculture; Lao men and boys are victims of forced labor in the Thai fishing, construction, and agriculture industries; some Vietnamese and Chinese women and girls are subjected to sex trafficking in Laos while others are trafficked through Laos to neighboring countries, particularly Thailand; some Lao adults and children are subject to sex and labor exploitation domestically
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Laos does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; authorities sustained moderate efforts to prosecute and convict trafficking offenders; the government failed to identify victims exploited within the country or among those deported from abroad; the government relies almost entirely on local and international organizations to implement its anti-trafficking programs, including providing assistance to trafficking victims (2014)
- current situation:
- Laos is a source and, to a lesser extent, transit and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking;
- Lao economic migrants may encounter conditions of forced labor or sexual exploitation in destination countries, most often Thailand;
- Lao women and girls are exploited in Thailand’s commercial sex trade, domestic service, factories, and agriculture;
- a small, possibly growing, number of Lao women and girls are sold as brides in China and South Korea and subsequently sex trafficked;
- Lao men and boys are victims of forced labor in the Thai fishing, construction, and agriculture industries;
- some Lao children, as well as Vietnamese and Chinese women and girls are subjected to sex trafficking in Laos;
- other Vietnamese and Chinese, and possibly Burmese, adults and girls transit Laos for sexual and labor exploitation in neighboring countries, particularly Thailand
- tier rating:
- Tier 2 Watch List – Laos does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking;
- however, it is making significant efforts to do so;
- authorities sustained moderate efforts to investigate, prosecute, and convict trafficking offenders;
- the government failed to make progress in proactively identifying victims exploited within the country or among those deported from abroad;
- the government continues to rely almost entirely on local and international organizations to provide and fund services to trafficking victims;
- although Lao men and boys are trafficked, most protective services are only available to women and girls, and long-term support is lacking;
- modest prevention efforts include the promotion of anti-trafficking awareness on state-controlled media (2015)
current situation: Laos is a source and, to a lesser extent, transit and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Lao economic migrants may encounter conditions of forced labor or sexual exploitation in destination countries, most often Thailand; Lao women and girls are exploited in Thailand’s commercial sex trade, domestic service, factories, and agriculture; a small, possibly growing, number of Lao women and girls are sold as brides in China and South Korea and subsequently sex trafficked; Lao men and boys are victims of forced labor in the Thai fishing, construction, and agriculture industries; some Lao children, as well as Vietnamese and Chinese women and girls are subjected to sex trafficking in Laos while others are trafficked through Laos to neighboring countries, particularly Thailand; some Lao Laos; other Vietnamese and Chinese, and possibly Burmese, adults and children are subject to sex girls transit Laos for sexual and labor exploitation domestically in neighboring countries, particularly Thailand
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Laos does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; authorities sustained moderate efforts to prosecute investigate, prosecute, and convict trafficking offenders; the government failed to identify make progress in proactively identifying victims exploited within the country or among those deported from abroad; the government relies continues to rely almost entirely on local and international organizations to implement its anti-trafficking programs, including providing assistance provide and fund services to trafficking victims (2014) victims; although Lao men and boys are trafficked, most protective services are only available to women and girls, and long-term support is lacking; modest prevention efforts include the promotion of anti-trafficking awareness on state-controlled media (2015)
The same text in 4 editions, 2017 to 2020.
- current situation:
- Laos is a source and, to a lesser extent, transit and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking;
- Lao economic migrants may encounter conditions of forced labor or sexual exploitation in destination countries, most often Thailand;
- Lao women and girls are exploited in Thailand’s commercial sex trade, domestic service, factories, and agriculture;
- a small, possibly growing, number of Lao women and girls are sold as brides in China and South Korea and subsequently sex trafficked;
- Lao men and boys are victims of forced labor in the Thai fishing, construction, and agriculture industries;
- some Lao children, as well as Vietnamese and Chinese women and girls, are subjected to sex trafficking in Laos;
- other Vietnamese and Chinese, and possibly Burmese, adults and girls transit Laos for sexual and labor exploitation in neighboring countries, particularly Thailand
- tier rating:
- Tier 2 Watch List – Laos does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking;
- however, it is making significant efforts to do so;
- authorities sustained moderate efforts to investigate, prosecute, and convict trafficking offenders;
- the government failed to make progress in proactively identifying victims exploited within the country or among those deported from abroad;
- the government continues to rely almost entirely on local and international organizations to provide and fund services to trafficking victims;
- although Lao men and boys are trafficked, most protective services are only available to women and girls, and long-term support is lacking;
- modest prevention efforts include the promotion of anti-trafficking awareness on state-controlled media (2015)
current situation: Laos is a source and, to a lesser extent, transit and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Lao economic migrants may encounter conditions of forced labor or sexual exploitation in destination countries, most often Thailand; Lao women and girls are exploited in Thailand’s commercial sex trade, domestic service, factories, and agriculture; a small, possibly growing, number of Lao women and girls are sold as brides in China and South Korea and subsequently sex trafficked; Lao men and boys are victims of forced labor in the Thai fishing, construction, and agriculture industries; some Lao children, as well as Vietnamese and Chinese women and girls girls, are subjected to sex trafficking in Laos; other Vietnamese and Chinese, and possibly Burmese, adults and girls transit Laos for sexual and labor exploitation in neighboring countries, particularly Thailand
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Laos does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; authorities sustained moderate efforts to investigate, prosecute, and convict trafficking offenders; the government failed to make progress in proactively identifying victims exploited within the country or among those deported from abroad; the government continues to rely almost entirely on local and international organizations to provide and fund services to trafficking victims; although Lao men and boys are trafficked, most protective services are only available to women and girls, and long-term support is lacking; modest prevention efforts include the promotion of anti-trafficking awareness on state-controlled media (2015)
The entry for Laos did not include Trafficking in persons.
- tier rating:
- Tier 2 Watch List — the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Laos was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List;
- for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/laos/
Rewritten: too little of the 2020 text remains to mark the changes.
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List — the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Laos was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/laos/
- tier rating:
- Tier 3 — Laos does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, therefore, Laos was downgraded to Tier 3;
- for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/laos/
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List 3 — Laos does not fully meet the government did minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not demonstrate overall increasing making significant efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore do so, therefore, Laos was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; 3; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/laos/ https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/laos/
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Cite this page
Central Intelligence Agency. “Laos: Trafficking in persons.” The World Factbook, 2006–2025 editions. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/laos/trafficking-in-persons.