Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Laos
Laos: Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) was 1.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
1.4%
Change on year
down 2.4%
World rank
81st
of 215 countries
All-time high
2.9%
in 1989
All-time low
1.4%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Population growth in Laos, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Laos recorded 1.4% for population growth in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Laos peaked at 2.9% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 2024.
That places Laos 81st out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Laos, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.4% | — |
| 1971 | 2.4% | +1.0% |
| 1972 | 2.4% | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 2.4% | +0.3% |
| 1974 | 2.4% | -2.0% |
| 1975 | 2.2% | -7.1% |
| 1976 | 2.0% | -11.6% |
| 1977 | 1.7% | -10.6% |
| 1978 | 1.7% | -3.9% |
| 1979 | 1.8% | +5.1% |
| 1980 | 2.0% | +11.9% |
| 1981 | 2.2% | +12.7% |
| 1982 | 2.4% | +10.0% |
| 1983 | 2.6% | +6.4% |
| 1984 | 2.7% | +3.7% |
| 1985 | 2.8% | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 2.8% | +1.6% |
| 1987 | 2.8% | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 2.9% | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 2.9% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 2.8% | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 2.8% | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 2.8% | -1.7% |
| 1993 | 2.7% | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 2.6% | -3.6% |
| 1995 | 2.5% | -5.6% |
| 1996 | 2.3% | -5.6% |
| 1997 | 2.1% | -10.5% |
| 1998 | 1.9% | -11.2% |
| 1999 | 1.7% | -5.6% |
| 2000 | 1.7% | -3.9% |
| 2001 | 1.6% | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 1.6% | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 1.5% | -4.1% |
| 2004 | 1.5% | -5.3% |
| 2005 | 1.5% | +3.5% |
| 2006 | 1.6% | +4.9% |
| 2007 | 1.5% | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 1.5% | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 1.5% | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 1.5% | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 1.4% | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 1.4% | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 1.4% | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 1.4% | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 1.5% | +5.8% |
| 2016 | 1.6% | +7.2% |
| 2017 | 1.6% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 1.6% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 1.5% | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 1.5% | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 1.4% | -3.5% |
| 2022 | 1.4% | -2.2% |
| 2023 | 1.4% | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 1.4% | -2.4% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 1.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.8%, 76% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Laos's 1.4% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.7%, 2.0× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.1% | 1.7% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.6% | 2.0% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.4% | 1.7% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.5% | 1.4% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Laos
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 population growth in Laos?
- Population growth in Laos was 1.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 2.9% in 1989.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 2024.
- How does Laos rank for population growth?
- Laos ranks 81st out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release