Share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation in Laos
Laos: Share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation was 98.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation in Laos, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation in Laos stood at 98.6%. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 12.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation in Laos peaked at 98.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 68.4%, in 2000.
Laos ranks 59th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation in Laos, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 68.4% | — |
| 2001 | 69.6% | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 70.9% | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 72.1% | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 73.3% | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 74.7% | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 76.1% | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 77.5% | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 78.9% | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 80.3% | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 81.7% | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 83.2% | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 84.6% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 86.0% | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 87.4% | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 88.9% | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 90.3% | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 91.8% | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 93.2% | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 94.7% | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 96.2% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 97.6% | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 98.2% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 98.4% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 98.6% | +0.2% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 98.6% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 65.2%, 1.5× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Laos's 98.6% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 92.8%, 1.1× the median. (27 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 74.2% | 68.4% | 80.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 88.2% | 81.7% | 94.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 97.8% | 96.2% | 98.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Laos
More population data for Laos
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.3849 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.5042 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.5% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 438,726 people (2100)
- Population density 40.11 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.5% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.9341 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.13 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation in Laos?
- Share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation in Laos was 98.6% in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 98.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 68.4% in 2000.
- How does Laos rank for share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation?
- Laos ranks 59th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Proportion of people using improved sanitation facilities, such as toilets or latrines, that are not shared with other households.