Laos 12th National Congress 2026: Evaluating the 5-Year Plan & Socio-Economic Roadmap

LIVE UPDATE: 12th National Congress Opens in Vientiane • 834 Delegates Convene • THEME: Independent and Self-Reliant Economy • Jan 6-8 Session Schedule Active

National Political Dispatch

The 12th National Congress

Tracking achievements, evaluating the 9th Socio-Economic Plan, and electing a new leadership for the Lao PDR.

834 Voting Delegates

388 Invited Guests

4.24% Avg. GDP Growth

3 Days Session Duration

"A Firm Advance Towards Socialism"

General Secretary Comrade Thongloun Sisoulith opened the proceedings today by emphasizing the continuity of the Party’s leadership. This section captures the high-level rhetoric and primary objectives shared during the opening remarks at the National Convention Centre.

The Congress serves as the supreme venue to evaluate the implementation of the resolution of the 11th Party Congress and to outline the national development roadmap for the next five years.

Attendance Insight

834 delegates represent over 421,000 Party members across the country, marking one of the most significant representative turnouts in recent history.

Observer Presence

388 invited guests are participating as observers, highlighting the transparent yet controlled nature of this supreme political gathering.

At a Glance

• Location Vientiane, LAO PDR
• Main Report 11th Party Resolution
• Status Day 1 (In Progress)

The Four Strategic Pillars

An interactive breakdown of the Congress theme and what it means for the citizen.

01

Strong Party Leadership

Enhancing the capability of the Party to lead the nation's overall tasks.

This involves streamlining administrative processes and ensuring Party ideological unity across all levels of government to prevent fragmentation during global economic shifts.

02

Independent Economy

Proactively building a self-reliant economic structure.

A core focus of the 12th Congress. Moving toward an economy less vulnerable to external debt and international market shocks by strengthening domestic production.

03

People's Democratic Regime

Continuing to consolidate the foundations of the State.

Strengthening the legal system and public participation within the framework of the people's democratic regime to ensure political stability.

04

Socialist Advancement

Advancing firmly towards the socialist goal.

Reaffirming the long-term ideological commitment of the LPRP to socialist development, ensuring equitable wealth distribution and social security.

9th Socio-Economic Plan: Final Analysis

The evaluation of the 9th Five-Year Socio-Economic Development Plan (2021-2025) is a critical component of the current Congress agenda. Despite global economic volatility, the report highlights a success story in resilience.

4.24% Actual Growth

"The achieved growth rate successfully exceeded original targets, signaling robust implementation under the leadership of the Central Committee."

Transition to the 10th Plan (2026-2030)

The Congress will now debate the draft for the 10th Plan. Key takeaways from the draft include:

• LDC Graduation: Ensuring Laos meets all criteria to graduate from Least Developed Country status.
• Infrastructure ROI: Maximizing the economic benefits of the Laos-China Railway and logistics hubs.
• Digital Transformation: Integrating digital economy pillars to modernize traditional sectors.

The Governance Transition Timeline

Jan 6 - Jan 8

The 12th National Congress

Delegates evaluate past resolutions and adopt the 10th Socio-Economic Development Plan.

Congress Finale

Leadership Elections

Election of the new Party Central Committee, Politburo, and General Secretary.

Post-Congress

Policy Dissemination

Resolution of the 12th Congress communicated to all state organs and citizens.

Feb 22, 2026

National Assembly Elections

Citizens vote for the 10th Legislature, finalizing the legislative counterpart to the Party’s leadership.

Uniting to Build a Modern, Socialist Nation

Vientiane, January 2026 • LPRP Official Dispatch