Share urban and rural population in Laos
Laos: Share urban and rural population was 40.31 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
40.31
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
185th
of 236 countries
All-time high
40.31
in 2025
All-time low
7.53
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Share urban and rural population in Laos, 1950–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, share urban and rural population in Laos stood at 40.31. That is the highest value across all 76 years on record.
The figure is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 21.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share urban and rural population in Laos peaked at 40.31 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 7.53, in 1950.
That places Laos 185th out of 236 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share urban and rural population in Laos, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 7.53 | — |
| 1951 | 7.54 | +0.2% |
| 1952 | 7.57 | +0.3% |
| 1953 | 7.6 | +0.4% |
| 1954 | 7.63 | +0.4% |
| 1955 | 7.67 | +0.5% |
| 1956 | 7.71 | +0.5% |
| 1957 | 7.76 | +0.6% |
| 1958 | 7.8 | +0.5% |
| 1959 | 7.81 | +0.2% |
| 1960 | 7.85 | +0.5% |
| 1961 | 7.9 | +0.7% |
| 1962 | 7.98 | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 8.07 | +1.1% |
| 1964 | 8.17 | +1.3% |
| 1965 | 8.28 | +1.4% |
| 1966 | 8.4 | +1.4% |
| 1967 | 8.57 | +2.0% |
| 1968 | 8.82 | +2.9% |
| 1969 | 9.13 | +3.5% |
| 1970 | 9.48 | +3.8% |
| 1971 | 9.84 | +3.8% |
| 1972 | 10.19 | +3.5% |
| 1973 | 10.5 | +3.1% |
| 1974 | 10.78 | +2.7% |
| 1975 | 11.06 | +2.6% |
| 1976 | 11.33 | +2.4% |
| 1977 | 11.59 | +2.3% |
| 1978 | 11.86 | +2.3% |
| 1979 | 12.12 | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 12.38 | +2.2% |
| 1981 | 12.65 | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 12.93 | +2.2% |
| 1983 | 13.21 | +2.2% |
| 1984 | 13.5 | +2.2% |
| 1985 | 13.8 | +2.2% |
| 1986 | 14.09 | +2.1% |
| 1987 | 14.37 | +2.0% |
| 1988 | 14.65 | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 14.94 | +2.0% |
| 1990 | 15.24 | +2.0% |
| 1991 | 15.57 | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 15.93 | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 16.32 | +2.5% |
| 1994 | 16.76 | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 17.28 | +3.1% |
| 1996 | 17.96 | +4.0% |
| 1997 | 18.85 | +4.9% |
| 1998 | 19.88 | +5.5% |
| 1999 | 21 | +5.7% |
| 2000 | 22.18 | +5.6% |
| 2001 | 23.37 | +5.4% |
| 2002 | 24.52 | +4.9% |
| 2003 | 25.59 | +4.4% |
| 2004 | 26.54 | +3.7% |
| 2005 | 27.32 | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 28.04 | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 28.73 | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 29.4 | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 30.04 | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 30.65 | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 31.21 | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 31.74 | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 32.23 | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 32.66 | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 33.12 | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 33.83 | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 34.51 | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 35.2 | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 35.91 | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 36.62 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 37.34 | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 38.07 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 38.81 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 39.56 | +1.9% |
| 2025 | 40.31 | +1.9% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 40.31 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 50.87, 79% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Laos's 40.31 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 65.45, 62% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 7.66 | 7.53 | 7.81 | 10 |
| 1960s | 8.32 | 7.85 | 9.13 | 10 |
| 1970s | 10.87 | 9.48 | 12.12 | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.65 | 12.38 | 14.94 | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.48 | 15.24 | 21 | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.58 | 22.18 | 30.04 | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.11 | 30.65 | 35.91 | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.45 | 36.62 | 40.31 | 6 |
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 share urban and rural population in Laos?
- Share urban and rural population in Laos was 40.31 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share urban and rural population recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 40.31 in 2025.
- What is the lowest share urban and rural population recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.53 in 1950.
- How does Laos rank for share urban and rural population?
- Laos ranks 185th out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share urban and rural population rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share urban and rural population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 76 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).