Key demographics
- Population
- 8.0M
- Density
- 29.0/km²
- HDI
- 0.617 (Medium)
- Gini index (2018)
- 38.8
- Life expectancy (2024)
- 69.2 yrs
- Fertility rate (2024)
- 2.40
- Urban population (2025)
- 40.3%
- Literacy rate (2023)
- 75.6%
- Labor force (2025)
- 68.7%
- Gender wage gap (2022)
- 18.0%
Population structure
- Dependency ratio
- 53%
- Profile
- Young
- Urban population (2025)
- 40.3%
- Birth rate (2024)
- 20.9 /1000
- Death rate (2024)
- 6.2 /1000
- Largest city (2025)
- 23.8%
- Fertility rate (2024)
- 2.40
- Infant mortality (2024)
- 27.2 /1000
- Slum population (2022)
- 54.8%
- Tourism (2020)
- 886.4K
Languages and culture
| Language | Native name |
|---|---|
| Lao | ພາສາລາວ |
| Religion | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Buddhism | 66.0% |
| Tai folk religion | 30.7% |
| Christianity | 1.5% |
| Other | 1.8% |
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Lao | 53.2% |
| Khmu | 11.0% |
| Hmong | 9.2% |
| Phu thai | 3.4% |
| Tai | 3.1% |
| Makong | 2.5% |
| Katang | 2.2% |
| Lue | 2.0% |
| Akha | 1.8% |
| Others | 11.6% |
- Demonym (male)
- Laotian
- Demonym (female)
- Laotian
- National anthem
- Pheng Xat Lao
Healthcare
- Life expectancy (2024)
- 69.2 yrs
- HALE (2021)
- 60.4 yrs
- Health spending (2023)
- 1.3% of GDP
- Infant mortality (2024)
- 27.2/1000
- UHC index (2023)
- 64/100
- Hospital beds (2023)
- 1.7/1000
- Physicians (2022)
- 0.33/1000
- Nurses (2023)
- 1.03/1000
- Health spending per capita (2023)
- $27
- Out-of-pocket (2023)
- 44.8%
Education and technology
- Literacy rate (2023)
- 75.6%
- Education spending (2023)
- 1.2% of GDP
- Learning outcomes (2020)
- 368
- Internet users (2024)
- 65.6%
- Mobile subscriptions (2023)
- 64.8/100
- Broadband (2023)
- 2.7/100
- Secure servers (2024)
- 302/1M
Broadband connectivity
- Broadband per 100 (2023)
- 2.7
Geography and practical
- Area
- 236,800 km²
- Continent
- Asia
- Region
- Asia
- Subregion
- South-Eastern Asia
- Landlocked
- Yes
- Driving side
- Right
- Timezones
- UTC+07:00
- Calling codes
- +856
- Postal code
- #####
- TLD
- .la
- Maps
- Google Maps · OpenStreetMap
National symbols
- Flag
- The flag of Laos is composed of three horizontal bands of red, blue and red. The blue band is twice the height of the red bands and bears a white circle at its center.
- National anthem
- Pheng Xat Lao