Total population (thousands) in Laos
Laos: Total population (thousands) was 7,822 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
7,822 thousands
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
102nd
of 233 countries
All-time high
7,822 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
2,638 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Total population in Laos, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
Laos recorded 7,822 thousands for total population in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 15.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total population in Laos peaked at 7,822 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 2,638 thousands, in 1970.
That places Laos 102nd out of 233 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Total population (thousands) in Laos, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2,638 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 2,702 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1972 | 2,768 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1973 | 2,836 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1974 | 2,905 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1975 | 2,974 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1976 | 3,037 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1977 | 3,093 thousands | +1.8% |
| 1978 | 3,145 thousands | +1.7% |
| 1979 | 3,198 thousands | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 3,258 thousands | +1.9% |
| 1981 | 3,327 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 3,406 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1983 | 3,494 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1984 | 3,588 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1985 | 3,688 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1986 | 3,792 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1987 | 3,901 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1988 | 4,014 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1989 | 4,131 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1990 | 4,251 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 4,373 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1992 | 4,497 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1993 | 4,622 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 4,748 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 4,870 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 4,988 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1997 | 5,103 thousands | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 5,201 thousands | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 5,295 thousands | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 5,386 thousands | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 5,476 thousands | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 5,567 thousands | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 5,655 thousands | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 5,741 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 5,823 thousands | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 5,917 thousands | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 6,010 thousands | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 6,103 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 6,195 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 6,288 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 6,380 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 6,473 thousands | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 6,565 thousands | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 6,658 thousands | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 6,749 thousands | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 6,855 thousands | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 6,963 thousands | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 7,073 thousands | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 7,183 thousands | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 7,292 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 7,401 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 7,506 thousands | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 7,612 thousands | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 7,718 thousands | +1.4% |
| 2025 | 7,822 thousands | +1.4% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 7,822 thousands is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 12,314 thousands, 64% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Laos's 7,822 thousands is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1,410 thousands, 5.5× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2,930 thousands | 2,638 thousands | 3,198 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 3,660 thousands | 3,258 thousands | 4,131 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 4,795 thousands | 4,251 thousands | 5,295 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 5,787 thousands | 5,386 thousands | 6,195 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 6,719 thousands | 6,288 thousands | 7,183 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 7,558 thousands | 7,292 thousands | 7,822 thousands | 6 |
Countries ranked near Laos
- 99 Belarus 9,027 thousands compare
- 100 Switzerland 8,946 thousands compare
- 101 Sierra Leone 8,731 thousands compare
- 103 Turkmenistan 7,558 thousands compare
- 104 Libya 7,420 thousands compare
- 105 Hong Kong 7,397 thousands compare
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)
- 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 total population in Laos?
- Total population in Laos was 7,822 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total population recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 7,822 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest total population recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,638 thousands in 1970.
- How does Laos rank for total population?
- Laos ranks 102nd out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is total 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 UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Total population (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release