Population growth in Laos
Laos: Population growth was 1.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Population growth in Laos, 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2025, population growth in Laos stood at 1.3%. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
The figure is down 2.8% on the previous year and down 9.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Laos peaked at 2.9% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 1.3%, in 2025.
Laos ranks 77th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.4% | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.1% | 1.7% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.6% | 2.0% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.4% | 1.7% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.5% | 1.4% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Laos
More climate change data for Laos
- Population, total 7.87 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 3.2% (2025)
- Urban population 3.17 million (2025)
- Urban population 40.3% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 7.35 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 3.9% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 18.8% (2025)
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas 18.8% (2025)
- CPIA public sector management and institutions cluster average 2.8 1=low to 6=high (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Laos?
- Population growth in Laos was 1.3% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 2.9% in 1989.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.3% in 2025.
- How does Laos rank for population growth?
- Laos ranks 77th out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.