Laos Demographics

Population of Laos (2025)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Laos

Laos Population
7,873,046
see live
Yearly Change
+1.33%
Global Share
0.1%
Global Rank
103

Median Age

The median age in Laos is 24.9 years (2025).

Fertility in Laos

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility: the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
2.4
(Live Births per Woman, 2025)

Life Expectancy in Laos

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
69.5
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
71.8
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
67.3
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Laos


Infant Mortality
29.0
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
35.7
(per 1,000 live births)


Laos Urban Population

Currently, 38.3% of the population of Laos is urban (3,018,824 people in 2025)


Population Density

The 2025 population density in Laos is 34 people per Km2 (88 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 230,800 Km2 (89,112 sq. miles).

Largest Cities in Laos

# City Population
1 Vientiane 196,731
2 Savannakhet 125,760
3 Pakse 88,332
4 Thakhek 85,000
5 Luang Prabang 47,378
6 Xam Nua 46,800
7 Muang Phonsavan 37,507
8 Muang Xay 25,000
9 Vang Vieng 25,000
10 Pakxan 21,967
11 Ban Houakhoua 15,500

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.