Share of population living in rural areas in Laos

Laos: Share of population living in rural areas was 69.37 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
69.37
World rank
15th
of 236 countries
All-time high
88.57
in 1950
All-time low
69.37
in 2020
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in rural areas in Laos, 1950–2020

0204060801950198520201950: 88.61955: 87.41960: 86.21965: 84.91970: 83.51975: 81.91980: 81.31985: 79.81990: 78.41995: 76.92000: 75.62005: 73.62010: 72.82015: 71.62020: 69.4

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of population living in rural areas in Laos is 69.37, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.

That represents a change of down 4.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Laos peaked at 88.57 in 1950 and was at its lowest, 69.37, in 2020.

That places Laos 15th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.

Share of population living in rural areas in Laos, year by year

Annual values for Share of population living in rural areas in Laos, 1950 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1950 88.57 —
1955 87.42 -1.3%
1960 86.22 -1.4%
1965 84.93 -1.5%
1970 83.51 -1.7%
1975 81.93 -1.9%
1980 81.33 -0.7%
1985 79.75 -1.9%
1990 78.44 -1.6%
1995 76.92 -1.9%
2000 75.57 -1.8%
2005 73.58 -2.6%
2010 72.78 -1.1%
2015 71.65 -1.6%
2020 69.37 -3.2%

Laos compared with similar countries

  • Laos's 69.37 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 28.75, 2.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
  • Laos's 69.37 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 29.5, 2.4× the median. (37 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 88 87.42 88.57 2
1960s 85.58 84.93 86.22 2
1970s 82.72 81.93 83.51 2
1980s 80.54 79.75 81.33 2
1990s 77.68 76.92 78.44 2
2000s 74.58 73.58 75.57 2
2010s 72.21 71.65 72.78 2
2020s 69.37 69.37 69.37 1

Countries ranked near Laos

  1. 12 Micronesia (country) 70.62 compare
  2. 13 Vanuatu 70.05 compare
  3. 14 Bhutan 69.51 compare
  4. 16 Zimbabwe 66.38 compare
  5. 17 Lesotho 62.26 compare
  6. 18 Faroe Islands 62.18 compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Laos

All data for Laos →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in rural areas in Laos?
Share of population living in rural areas in Laos was 69.37 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Laos?
The highest recorded value was 88.57 in 1950.
What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Laos?
The lowest recorded value was 69.37 in 2020.
How does Laos rank for share of population living in rural areas?
Laos ranks 15th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Laos?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Laos data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of population living in rural areas in Laos. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 12 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-population-living-in-rural-areas/lao-pdr/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in rural areas
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed