Share of population living in rural areas in Lao People's Democratic Republic
Lao People's Democratic Republic: Share of population living in rural areas was 69.4% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Lao People's Democratic Republic, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living in rural areas in Lao People's Democratic Republic is 69.4%, 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 Lao People's Democratic Republic peaked at 88.6% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 69.4%, in 2020.
That places Lao People's Democratic Republic 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 Lao People's Democratic Republic, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 88.6% | — |
| 1955 | 87.4% | -1.3% |
| 1960 | 86.2% | -1.4% |
| 1965 | 84.9% | -1.5% |
| 1970 | 83.5% | -1.7% |
| 1975 | 81.9% | -1.9% |
| 1980 | 81.3% | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 79.8% | -1.9% |
| 1990 | 78.4% | -1.6% |
| 1995 | 76.9% | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 75.6% | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 73.6% | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 72.8% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 71.6% | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 69.4% | -3.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 88.0% | 87.4% | 88.6% | 2 |
| 1960s | 85.6% | 84.9% | 86.2% | 2 |
| 1970s | 82.7% | 81.9% | 83.5% | 2 |
| 1980s | 80.5% | 79.8% | 81.3% | 2 |
| 1990s | 77.7% | 76.9% | 78.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 74.6% | 73.6% | 75.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 72.2% | 71.6% | 72.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 69.4% | 69.4% | 69.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Lao People's Democratic Republic
More population data for Lao People's Democratic Republic
- 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 share of population living in rural areas in Lao People's Democratic Republic?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Lao People's Democratic Republic was 69.4% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Lao People's Democratic Republic?
- The highest recorded value was 88.6% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Lao People's Democratic Republic?
- The lowest recorded value was 69.4% in 2020.
- How does Lao People's Democratic Republic rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Lao People's Democratic Republic ranks 15th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Lao People's Democratic Republic?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lao People's Democratic Republic data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by 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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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.