Savannakhet (Lao: ສະຫວັນນະເຂດ, pronounced [sā.wǎn nā(ʔ).kʰȅːt]) is a province of Laos. The name of Savannakhet Province derives from old Pali-Sanskrit language, meaning “a field of gold”. The name follows from the province’s previous name Savanh Nakhone ('heavenly district' or 'land of fertility suitable for agriculture'). The province is in the southern part of the country and is the largest province in Laos. It borders Khammouane province to the north, Quảng Trị and Thừa Thiên–Huế provinces of Vietnam to the east, Salavan province to the south, and Nakhon Phanom and Mukdahan provinces of Thailand to the west.

Savannakhet is the largest province, covering an area of 21,774 square kilometres (8,407 sq mi). The province borders Khammouan province to the north, Quảng Trị and Thừa Thiên–Huế provinces of Vietnam to the east, Salavan province to the south, and Nakhon Phanom and Mukdahan provinces of Thailand to the west. Settlements in the province include Savannakhet, Muong Song Khone, Ban Nhiang, Seno, Dong-Hen, Muang Phalan, Ban Sanoun, Muang Phin, Ban Dong, Ban Nammi, Ban Nao Tai.

The Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge over the Mekong connects Mukdahan province in Thailand with Savannakhet in Laos. The bridge is 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) long and 12 metres (39 ft) wide, with 2 traffic lanes.

Areas under protection in the province include Xe Bang Nouan National Biodiversity Conservation Area to the south, Dong Phou Vieng National Protected Area to the southeast, and Phou Xang He National Protected Area to the north. Phou Xang He has rocky mountain ranges, and is known for local Puthai culture. The Dong Phou Vieng is known for its forest with vegetation, a sacred lake and That Ing Hang Stupa; there are Eld's deer, silver langurs and hornbills.

The province is made up of the following 15 districts:

Prehistoric human occupation is evidenced by the first stone tools in the province, dating back between 100,000 and 12,000 years. The first bronze tools date to 2000 BCE. The region was then the center of the Sikhottabong Kingdom. The Pha That Sikhottabong stupa is on the grounds of a 19th-century monastery in Thakhek. Sikhottabong was a kingdom in Indo-China. Its capital was in the north-west of the province, in what later is the village of Meuang Kabong, on the eastern shores of the Banghiang River, about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) east of the Mekong. Other centers of the kingdom were in Viang Chan, Khammuan, Nong Khai, and Udon. Khmer Empire ruins dating to 553 and 700 CE have been found at Heuan Hin.

In the 20th century, Savannakhet province was 1 of the seats of the struggle for independence. Prime Minister Kaysone Phomvihane originated in the province. The town was bombed and then occupied by Thai armed forces during the Franco-Thai War. During the Vietnam War, the eastern part of the province was crossed by the Ho Chi Minh trail. It was bombed by U.S. forces and loyalists. Some areas are still under the threat of unexploded ordnance. In 2007, the Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge was opened across the Mekong from Savannakhet to Mukdahan, Thailand. In April 2008, a chance discovery was made at Meuang Kabong consisting of 8.5 kilograms (19 lb) of gold and 18.7 kilograms (41 lb) of silver objects, and pillars and traces of brick walls. Missionaries came here, evidenced by a Catholic church in Savannakhet.

The population is 969,697 as of the 2015 census, spread over 15 districts. The ethnic minority groups residing in the province include Lao Loum, Phu Tai, Tai Dam, Katang, Mongkong, Vali, Lavi, Souei, Kapo, Kaleung and Ta Oi. In the 2000 census, 3 ethnic groups were listed: Lao Loum (Lowland Lao), Phu Tai, and Bru, the ones recognized by the provincial government. The Bru are a people with dialects and cultures.