Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Laos
Laos: Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) was 61.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
61.1%
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
41st
of 214 countries
All-time high
90.4%
in 1970
All-time low
61.1%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Laos, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Laos recorded 61.1% for rural population in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.1% on the previous year and down 9.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Laos peaked at 90.4% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 61.1%, in 2024.
Laos ranks 41st of 214 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Laos, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 90.4% | — |
| 1971 | 90.0% | -0.4% |
| 1972 | 89.7% | -0.4% |
| 1973 | 89.4% | -0.3% |
| 1974 | 89.2% | -0.3% |
| 1975 | 88.9% | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 88.7% | -0.3% |
| 1977 | 88.4% | -0.3% |
| 1978 | 88.2% | -0.3% |
| 1979 | 87.9% | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 87.6% | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 87.3% | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 87.1% | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 86.8% | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 86.5% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 86.2% | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 85.9% | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 85.6% | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 85.2% | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 84.9% | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 84.6% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 84.2% | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 83.9% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 83.5% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 83.1% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 82.6% | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 81.8% | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 80.9% | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 80.0% | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 79.0% | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 78.0% | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 77.0% | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 76.0% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 74.9% | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 73.8% | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 72.8% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 72.3% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 71.7% | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 71.1% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 70.5% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 69.9% | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 69.3% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 68.7% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 68.1% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 67.5% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 66.9% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 66.3% | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 65.6% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 65.0% | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 64.4% | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 63.7% | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 63.1% | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 62.4% | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 61.8% | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 61.1% | -1.1% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 61.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 53.1%, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Laos's 61.1% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 34.5%, 1.8× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 89.1% | 87.9% | 90.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 86.3% | 84.9% | 87.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 82.4% | 79.0% | 84.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 73.8% | 70.5% | 78.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 67.2% | 64.4% | 69.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.4% | 61.1% | 63.7% | 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 rural population in Laos?
- Rural population in Laos was 61.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 90.4% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 61.1% in 2024.
- How does Laos rank for rural population?
- Laos ranks 41st out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.5%. 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 Rural population (% of total population). 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