Rank #105 by World Population
🇱🇦Lao PDR
Lao PDR has a population of 7,664,993, ranking #105 in the world. The capital is Vientiane. Located in East Asia & Pacific.
World Bank: Lower middle income
7,664,993
Population
#105
World Rank
69.0
Life Expectancy
$2,067
GDP Per Capita
Lao PDR, #105 by world population
Lao PDR Population History (1960-2024)
The country of Lao PDR had a population of 2,121,514 in 1960 and 7,769,819 in 2024, a 3.7× growth over 64 years. The peak was 7,769,819 in 2024. Average annual growth rate: 2.05%.
7,769,819
Population (2024)
2,121,514
Population (1960)
7,769,819
Peak (2024)
2.05%
Avg Annual Growth
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 2,121,514 |
| 1961 | 2,169,796 |
| 1962 | 2,219,910 |
| 1963 | 2,271,061 |
| 1964 | 2,322,826 |
| 1965 | 2,376,200 |
| 1966 | 2,431,084 |
| 1967 | 2,487,715 |
| 1968 | 2,546,377 |
| 1969 | 2,606,959 |
| 1970 | 2,669,702 |
| 1971 | 2,734,628 |
| 1972 | 2,801,660 |
| 1973 | 2,870,573 |
| 1974 | 2,939,761 |
| 1975 | 3,005,521 |
| 1976 | 3,064,876 |
| 1977 | 3,118,923 |
| 1978 | 3,171,740 |
| 1979 | 3,228,202 |
| 1980 | 3,292,573 |
| 1981 | 3,366,631 |
| 1982 | 3,450,026 |
| 1983 | 3,541,001 |
| 1984 | 3,637,843 |
| 1985 | 3,739,985 |
| 1986 | 3,846,715 |
| 1987 | 3,957,612 |
| 1988 | 4,072,601 |
| 1989 | 4,190,974 |
| 1990 | 4,311,955 |
| 1991 | 4,435,118 |
| 1992 | 4,559,646 |
| 1993 | 4,685,060 |
| 1994 | 4,809,220 |
| 1995 | 4,929,409 |
| 1996 | 5,045,678 |
| 1997 | 5,152,011 |
| 1998 | 5,248,266 |
| 1999 | 5,340,784 |
| 2000 | 5,431,212 |
| 2001 | 5,521,482 |
| 2002 | 5,610,889 |
| 2003 | 5,697,945 |
| 2004 | 5,781,626 |
| 2005 | 5,869,523 |
| 2006 | 5,963,200 |
| 2007 | 6,056,236 |
| 2008 | 6,148,969 |
| 2009 | 6,241,642 |
| 2010 | 6,334,194 |
| 2011 | 6,426,590 |
| 2012 | 6,518,978 |
| 2013 | 6,611,385 |
| 2014 | 6,703,172 |
| 2015 | 6,801,645 |
| 2016 | 6,908,802 |
| 2017 | 7,018,147 |
| 2018 | 7,128,045 |
| 2019 | 7,237,636 |
| 2020 | 7,346,533 |
| 2021 | 7,453,194 |
| 2022 | 7,559,007 |
| 2023 | 7,664,993 |
| 2024 | 7,769,819 |
Demographics
| Population | 7,664,993 |
| Population Growth Rate | 1.39% |
| Urban Population | 38.8% |
| Fertility Rate | 2.42 births/woman |
| Life Expectancy | 69.0 years |
| Infant Mortality Rate | 28.2 per 1,000 |
| Literacy Rate | 75.6% |
Economy & Trade
$2,067
GDP Per Capita
1.2%
Unemployment Rate
Lower middle income
Income Level
886,400.024
Tourism Arrivals
Health & Education
1.3%
Health Expenditure (% GDP)
0.33
Physicians per 1,000
1.2%
Education Expenditure (% GDP)
75.6%
Literacy Rate
28.2
Infant Mortality (per 1,000)
Development & Connectivity
96.5%
Electricity Access
64.5%
Internet Users
65
Mobile Subs per 100
33.2
People per km2
-10,003
Net Migration
Environment
71.5%
Forest Area
Other Countries in East Asia & Pacific
Lao PDR in global context
Lao PDR is one of 212 countries tracked. See how it ranks globally, regional shares of world population, and projections to 2050 / 2100.
World Population 2026: Top 10 Countries, Regions & Trends →Other related entities
Country rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
Lao PDR has a population of 7,664,993, ranking #105 in the world. The annual population growth rate is 1.39%.
Life expectancy in Lao PDR is 69.0 years. The infant mortality rate is 28.2 per 1,000 live births.
Lao PDR's GDP per capita is $2,067. It is classified as a lower middle income country by the World Bank.
38.8% of Lao PDR's population lives in urban areas. The overall population density is 33.2 people per square kilometer.
The adult literacy rate in Lao PDR is 75.6%. The country spends 1.2% of GDP on education.
International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.
The this entity record above pulls directly from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files. What follows is the per-entity context — how this entity sits in the broader U.S. population demographics distribution and which underlying factors drive the headline numbers.
Every number on this page links back to the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files; the methodology page describes the inputs, refresh cadence, and known limitations of the underlying data product.
Practical use of this page is in combination with the comparison and ranking pages elsewhere on the site, which surface the same data for this entity’s peers within U.S. states, metros, cities, and ZIPs. A single-entity reading without peer context can be misleading when an entity is an outlier on one axis but typical on another.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.