Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in Laos
Laos: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate was 3.27 % change on previous year in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
3.27 % change on previous year
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
37th
of 234 countries
All-time high
7.53 % change on previous year
in 1999
All-time low
2.45 % change on previous year
in 1959
Years of data
75
1951–2025
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in Laos, 1951–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in % change on previous year.
Analysis
In 2025, number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in Laos stood at 3.27 % change on previous year.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.6% on the previous year and up 12.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in Laos peaked at 7.53 % change on previous year in 1999 and was at its lowest, 2.45 % change on previous year, in 1959.
Laos ranks 37th of 234 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 75 years of available data.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in Laos, year by year
| Year | % change on previous year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 2.66 % change on previous year | — |
| 1952 | 2.7 % change on previous year | +1.5% |
| 1953 | 2.76 % change on previous year | +2.1% |
| 1954 | 2.8 % change on previous year | +1.6% |
| 1955 | 2.84 % change on previous year | +1.4% |
| 1956 | 2.87 % change on previous year | +1.3% |
| 1957 | 2.94 % change on previous year | +2.2% |
| 1958 | 2.87 % change on previous year | -2.1% |
| 1959 | 2.45 % change on previous year | -14.6% |
| 1960 | 2.73 % change on previous year | +11.4% |
| 1961 | 3.01 % change on previous year | +10.1% |
| 1962 | 3.27 % change on previous year | +8.6% |
| 1963 | 3.45 % change on previous year | +5.5% |
| 1964 | 3.57 % change on previous year | +3.5% |
| 1965 | 3.7 % change on previous year | +3.5% |
| 1966 | 3.78 % change on previous year | +2.2% |
| 1967 | 4.41 % change on previous year | +16.6% |
| 1968 | 5.37 % change on previous year | +22.0% |
| 1969 | 5.99 % change on previous year | +11.5% |
| 1970 | 6.29 % change on previous year | +5.0% |
| 1971 | 6.31 % change on previous year | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 6.07 % change on previous year | -3.8% |
| 1973 | 5.6 % change on previous year | -7.6% |
| 1974 | 5.17 % change on previous year | -7.7% |
| 1975 | 4.85 % change on previous year | -6.3% |
| 1976 | 4.46 % change on previous year | -8.0% |
| 1977 | 4.15 % change on previous year | -7.0% |
| 1978 | 4 % change on previous year | -3.5% |
| 1979 | 4.04 % change on previous year | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 4.22 % change on previous year | +4.6% |
| 1981 | 4.47 % change on previous year | +5.7% |
| 1982 | 4.7 % change on previous year | +5.2% |
| 1983 | 4.87 % change on previous year | +3.7% |
| 1984 | 5 % change on previous year | +2.6% |
| 1985 | 5.08 % change on previous year | +1.7% |
| 1986 | 5.03 % change on previous year | -1.0% |
| 1987 | 4.94 % change on previous year | -1.8% |
| 1988 | 4.92 % change on previous year | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 4.93 % change on previous year | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 4.97 % change on previous year | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 5.05 % change on previous year | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 5.16 % change on previous year | +2.1% |
| 1993 | 5.3 % change on previous year | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 5.43 % change on previous year | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 5.66 % change on previous year | +4.3% |
| 1996 | 6.42 % change on previous year | +13.4% |
| 1997 | 7.13 % change on previous year | +11.2% |
| 1998 | 7.43 % change on previous year | +4.1% |
| 1999 | 7.53 % change on previous year | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 7.41 % change on previous year | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 7.11 % change on previous year | -4.0% |
| 2002 | 6.63 % change on previous year | -6.8% |
| 2003 | 5.98 % change on previous year | -9.7% |
| 2004 | 5.21 % change on previous year | -13.0% |
| 2005 | 4.52 % change on previous year | -13.1% |
| 2006 | 4.26 % change on previous year | -5.9% |
| 2007 | 4.08 % change on previous year | -4.1% |
| 2008 | 3.9 % change on previous year | -4.6% |
| 2009 | 3.71 % change on previous year | -4.7% |
| 2010 | 3.53 % change on previous year | -5.0% |
| 2011 | 3.34 % change on previous year | -5.3% |
| 2012 | 3.15 % change on previous year | -5.6% |
| 2013 | 2.96 % change on previous year | -6.0% |
| 2014 | 2.76 % change on previous year | -6.7% |
| 2015 | 2.9 % change on previous year | +4.9% |
| 2016 | 3.73 % change on previous year | +28.7% |
| 2017 | 3.64 % change on previous year | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 3.61 % change on previous year | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 3.56 % change on previous year | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 3.52 % change on previous year | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 3.45 % change on previous year | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 3.4 % change on previous year | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 3.37 % change on previous year | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 3.32 % change on previous year | -1.4% |
| 2025 | 3.27 % change on previous year | -1.6% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 3.27 % change on previous year is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.77 % change on previous year, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Laos's 3.27 % change on previous year is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.8009 % change on previous year, 4.1× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.77 % change on previous year | 2.45 % change on previous year | 2.94 % change on previous year | 9 |
| 1960s | 3.93 % change on previous year | 2.73 % change on previous year | 5.99 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.09 % change on previous year | 4 % change on previous year | 6.31 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.82 % change on previous year | 4.22 % change on previous year | 5.08 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.01 % change on previous year | 4.97 % change on previous year | 7.53 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.28 % change on previous year | 3.71 % change on previous year | 7.41 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.32 % change on previous year | 2.76 % change on previous year | 3.73 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.39 % change on previous year | 3.27 % change on previous year | 3.52 % change on previous year | 6 |
Countries ranked near Laos
- 34 Gambia 3.35 % change on previous year compare
- 35 Sierra Leone 3.33 % change on previous year compare
- 36 Senegal 3.31 % change on previous year compare
- 38 Mayotte 3.24 % change on previous year compare
- 39 Liberia 3.11 % change on previous year compare
- 40 Comoros 3.09 % change on previous year compare
More population data for Laos
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.5042 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.23 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.5042 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.3849 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 9,776 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.13 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.9341 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.511 (2100)
- Population density 40.11 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 438,726 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in Laos?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in Laos was 3.27 % change on previous year in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 7.53 % change on previous year in 1999.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.45 % change on previous year in 1959.
- How does Laos rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate?
- Laos ranks 37th out of 234 countries with data for 2025.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 75 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
The year-on-year percentage change in Number of people living in urban and rural areas. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.
Computed from
- Urban and rural population Our World in Data
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
The year-on-year percentage change in Number of people living in urban and rural areas. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.