Population growth rate in Laos
Laos: Population growth rate was 1.4% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1.4%
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
87th
of 236 countries
All-time high
2.9%
in 1988
All-time low
1.4%
in 2014
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Population growth rate in Laos, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, population growth rate in Laos stood at 1.4%.
The figure is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth rate in Laos peaked at 2.9% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 2014.
Laos ranks 87th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Population growth rate in Laos, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.4% | — |
| 1951 | 2.4% | -2.6% |
| 1952 | 2.3% | -0.8% |
| 1953 | 2.3% | -0.4% |
| 1954 | 2.3% | -0.9% |
| 1955 | 2.3% | -0.1% |
| 1956 | 2.3% | -0.2% |
| 1957 | 2.3% | -0.3% |
| 1958 | 2.3% | +0.1% |
| 1959 | 2.2% | -2.2% |
| 1960 | 2.2% | +0.1% |
| 1961 | 2.3% | +0.6% |
| 1962 | 2.3% | +2.3% |
| 1963 | 2.2% | -2.6% |
| 1964 | 2.3% | +0.5% |
| 1965 | 2.3% | +1.1% |
| 1966 | 2.3% | -0.0% |
| 1967 | 2.3% | +1.7% |
| 1968 | 2.3% | +0.7% |
| 1969 | 2.4% | +1.0% |
| 1970 | 2.4% | +1.3% |
| 1971 | 2.4% | +0.8% |
| 1972 | 2.4% | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 2.4% | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 2.3% | -3.9% |
| 1975 | 2.1% | -10.4% |
| 1976 | 1.8% | -12.9% |
| 1977 | 1.7% | -8.1% |
| 1978 | 1.7% | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 1.8% | +9.6% |
| 1980 | 2.1% | +14.0% |
| 1981 | 2.3% | +11.5% |
| 1982 | 2.5% | +8.7% |
| 1983 | 2.7% | +4.3% |
| 1984 | 2.7% | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 2.8% | +2.2% |
| 1986 | 2.8% | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 2.9% | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 2.9% | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 2.9% | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 2.8% | -0.8% |
| 1991 | 2.8% | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 2.7% | -2.1% |
| 1993 | 2.7% | -1.9% |
| 1994 | 2.5% | -5.3% |
| 1995 | 2.4% | -6.0% |
| 1996 | 2.3% | -5.1% |
| 1997 | 1.9% | -16.2% |
| 1998 | 1.8% | -5.5% |
| 1999 | 1.7% | -5.7% |
| 2000 | 1.7% | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 1.6% | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 1.6% | -3.5% |
| 2003 | 1.5% | -4.8% |
| 2004 | 1.4% | -5.9% |
| 2005 | 1.6% | +13.3% |
| 2006 | 1.6% | -2.3% |
| 2007 | 1.5% | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 1.5% | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 1.5% | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 1.5% | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 1.4% | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 1.4% | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 1.4% | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 1.4% | -2.6% |
| 2015 | 1.6% | +14.3% |
| 2016 | 1.6% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 1.6% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 1.5% | -1.9% |
| 2019 | 1.5% | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 1.5% | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 1.4% | -4.4% |
| 2022 | 1.4% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 1.4% | -2.5% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 1.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.7%, 81% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.3% | 2.2% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.3% | 2.2% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.1% | 1.7% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.7% | 2.1% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.4% | 1.7% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.5% | 1.4% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.5% | 1.4% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.5% | 4 |
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)
- World population growth -0.5% (2100)
- Population density 40.11 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 438,726 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth rate in Laos?
- Population growth rate in Laos was 1.4% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population growth rate recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 2.9% in 1988.
- What is the lowest population growth rate recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 2014.
- How does Laos rank for population growth rate?
- Laos ranks 87th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population growth rate rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Annual rate at which the population is growing, expressed as a percentage.