Population in Laos
Laos: Population was 7.67 million people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Population in Laos, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Laos recorded 7.67 million people for population in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 15.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in Laos peaked at 7.67 million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.68 million people, in 1950.
That places Laos 103rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 1.87 million people | 1.68 million people | 2.07 million people | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.36 million people | 2.12 million people | 2.61 million people | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.96 million people | 2.67 million people | 3.23 million people | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.71 million people | 3.29 million people | 4.19 million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.85 million people | 4.31 million people | 5.34 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.83 million people | 5.43 million people | 6.24 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.77 million people | 6.33 million people | 7.24 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.51 million people | 7.35 million people | 7.67 million people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Laos
- 100 Switzerland 8.87 million people compare
- 101 Sierra Leone 8.46 million people compare
- 102 Togo 8.22 million people compare
- 104 Hong Kong 7.44 million people compare
- 105 Turkmenistan 7.36 million people compare
- 106 Libya 7.31 million people compare
More population data for Laos
- 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)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 2.4 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 80 people (1987)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 2.4 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 2.4 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate 1.5% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 2.42 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in Laos?
- Population in Laos was 7.67 million people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 7.67 million people in 2023.
- What is the lowest population recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.68 million people in 1950.
- How does Laos rank for population?
- Laos ranks 103rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown.