Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Laos
Laos: Share of urban population who live in the largest city was 8.2% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Laos, 1955–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of urban population who live in the largest city in Laos is 8.2%, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 14 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 49.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of urban population who live in the largest city in Laos peaked at 29.4% in 1965 and was at its lowest, 8.2%, in 2020.
That places Laos 168th out of 179 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.
Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Laos, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | 22.8% | — |
| 1960 | 25.9% | +13.4% |
| 1965 | 29.4% | +13.7% |
| 1970 | 29.4% | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 27.5% | -6.5% |
| 1980 | 25.0% | -9.1% |
| 1985 | 21.3% | -14.9% |
| 1990 | 20.4% | -4.1% |
| 1995 | 17.8% | -12.7% |
| 2000 | 20.0% | +12.4% |
| 2005 | 20.7% | +3.5% |
| 2010 | 16.2% | -21.9% |
| 2015 | 12.7% | -21.3% |
| 2020 | 8.2% | -35.5% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 8.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 24.9%, 33% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Laos's 8.2% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 28.2%, 29% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 22.8% | 22.8% | 22.8% | 1 |
| 1960s | 27.7% | 25.9% | 29.4% | 2 |
| 1970s | 28.5% | 27.5% | 29.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 23.1% | 21.3% | 25.0% | 2 |
| 1990s | 19.1% | 17.8% | 20.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 20.4% | 20.0% | 20.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 14.5% | 12.7% | 16.2% | 2 |
| 2020s | 8.2% | 8.2% | 8.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Laos
More population data for Laos
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.3849 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.5042 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.5% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 438,726 people (2100)
- Population density 40.11 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.5% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.9341 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.13 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of urban population who live in the largest city in Laos?
- Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Laos was 8.2% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of urban population who live in the largest city recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 29.4% in 1965.
- What is the lowest share of urban population who live in the largest city recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.2% in 2020.
- How does Laos rank for share of urban population who live in the largest city?
- Laos ranks 168th out of 179 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of urban population who live in the largest city rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 49.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of urban population who live in the largest city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of the urban population living in the country's largest city (by population). City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.