PopulationTracker

Laos population

Current population of Laos

7,987,755

Live estimate, extrapolated from the latest official figures

Births today
93
Deaths today
27
Change today (UTC)
+59
World rank
103rd of 218
0.10% of world population
Population
7,873,046
2025 estimate
Annual growth
+1.32%
2025
Density
33 /km²
2023
Land area
230,800 km²
Urban population
40%
2025
Median age
24.9 yrs
2025 (UN WPP)
Fertility rate
2.40
births per woman, 2024
Life expectancy
69.2 yrs
2024
Net migration
−10,645
2025
Capital
Vientiane
Region
East Asia & Pacific

Population of Laos: overview

Laos has a population of 7,873,046 according to the latest official estimates (2025), the 103rd largest in the world. Laos is part of the East Asia & Pacific region and its capital is Vientiane.

The population is growing steadily, at 1.32% per year. In absolute terms that meant roughly 103,227 additional people over the past year. That growth comes despite net emigration of about 10,645 people in 2025.

The country is sparsely settled, with only about 33 people per km², spread across 230,800 km² of land. The country remains predominantly rural, though cities are growing: 40% of residents are urban.

The population is young, with a median age of 24.9 years. The fertility rate of 2.40 children per woman sits above the replacement level of 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 69.2 years (2024).

UN medium-variant projections point to continued growth, reaching 9.76 million by 2050 (24% above today's level). The 2030 projection is 8,357,023.

Laos population, 1960–2025 and projections

02M4M6M8M10M19601980200020202040projected2025: 7.87M1960: 2,121,5141961: 2,169,7961962: 2,219,9101963: 2,271,0611964: 2,322,8261965: 2,376,2001966: 2,431,0841967: 2,487,7151968: 2,546,3771969: 2,606,9591970: 2,669,7021971: 2,734,6281972: 2,801,6601973: 2,870,5731974: 2,939,7611975: 3,005,5211976: 3,064,8761977: 3,118,9231978: 3,171,7401979: 3,228,2021980: 3,292,5731981: 3,366,6311982: 3,450,0261983: 3,541,0011984: 3,637,8431985: 3,739,9851986: 3,846,7151987: 3,957,6121988: 4,072,6011989: 4,190,9741990: 4,311,9551991: 4,435,1181992: 4,559,6461993: 4,685,0601994: 4,809,2201995: 4,929,4091996: 5,045,6781997: 5,152,0111998: 5,248,2661999: 5,340,7842000: 5,431,2122001: 5,521,4822002: 5,610,8892003: 5,697,9452004: 5,781,6262005: 5,869,5232006: 5,963,2002007: 6,056,2362008: 6,148,9692009: 6,241,6422010: 6,334,1942011: 6,426,5902012: 6,518,9782013: 6,611,3852014: 6,703,1722015: 6,801,6452016: 6,908,8022017: 7,018,1472018: 7,128,0452019: 7,237,6362020: 7,346,5332021: 7,453,1942022: 7,559,0072023: 7,664,9932024: 7,769,8192025: 7,873,0462030: 8,357,0232050: 9,757,286
Population of Laos by year
YearPopulationGrowth rateAnnual change
20257,873,046+1.32%+103,227
20247,769,819+1.36%+104,826
20237,664,993+1.39%+105,986
20227,559,007+1.41%+105,813
20217,453,194+1.44%+106,661
20207,346,533+1.49%+108,897
20197,237,636+1.53%+109,591
20187,128,045+1.55%+109,898
20177,018,147+1.57%+109,345
20166,908,802+1.56%+107,157
20156,801,645+1.46%+98,473
20146,703,172+1.38%+91,787
20106,334,194+1.47%+92,552
20055,869,523+1.51%+87,897
20005,431,212+1.68%+90,428
19954,929,409+2.47%+120,189
19904,311,955+2.85%+120,981
19853,739,985+2.77%+102,142
19803,292,573+1.97%+64,371
19753,005,521+2.21%+65,760
19702,669,702+2.38%+62,743
19652,376,200+2.27%+53,374
19602,121,514––

Recent years annually, earlier years at five-year steps. Annual change compares against the immediately preceding year.

Laos population forecast

United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant.

Projected population of Laos
YearProjected populationvs today
20308,357,023+6.1%
20509,757,286+23.9%

Laos population pyramid (2025)

Age and sex structure from UN World Population Prospects 2024: 29.8% of Laos's population is under 15, 65.4% is of working age (15–64), and 4.8% is 65 or older. Hover any bar for the group's size.

MaleFemale
0%2%2%4%4%6%6%0-4 male: 402,511 (5.1%)0-4 female: 385,147 (4.9%)0-45-9 male: 406,718 (5.2%)5-9 female: 390,562 (5.0%)10-14 male: 389,043 (4.9%)10-14 female: 375,310 (4.8%)10-1415-19 male: 376,281 (4.8%)15-19 female: 365,329 (4.6%)20-24 male: 359,264 (4.6%)20-24 female: 350,750 (4.5%)20-2425-29 male: 352,994 (4.5%)25-29 female: 345,490 (4.4%)30-34 male: 328,394 (4.2%)30-34 female: 325,191 (4.1%)30-3435-39 male: 300,922 (3.8%)35-39 female: 295,366 (3.8%)40-44 male: 253,115 (3.2%)40-44 female: 247,002 (3.1%)40-4445-49 male: 204,220 (2.6%)45-49 female: 201,409 (2.6%)50-54 male: 166,636 (2.1%)50-54 female: 168,238 (2.1%)50-5455-59 male: 134,977 (1.7%)55-59 female: 143,183 (1.8%)60-64 male: 107,376 (1.4%)60-64 female: 119,081 (1.5%)60-6465-69 male: 78,282 (1.0%)65-69 female: 87,284 (1.1%)70-74 male: 49,550 (0.6%)70-74 female: 57,162 (0.7%)70-7475-79 male: 26,824 (0.3%)75-79 female: 34,047 (0.4%)80-84 male: 12,475 (0.2%)80-84 female: 17,773 (0.2%)80-8485-89 male: 4,643 (0.1%)85-89 female: 7,082 (0.1%)90-94 male: 1,043 (0.0%)90-94 female: 1,899 (0.0%)90-9495-99 male: 132 (0.0%)95-99 female: 305 (0.0%)100+ male: 10 (0.0%)100+ female: 31 (0.0%)100+

Laos population FAQ

What is the population of Laos in 2026?

Laos's population is estimated at about 7.99 million in 2026, extrapolated from the latest official figure of 7,873,046 (2025). Laos ranks 103rd in the world by population.

Is the population of Laos growing or shrinking?

Laos's population is growing at about 1.32% per year, an increase of roughly 103,227 people over the past year.

How densely populated is Laos?

Laos has about 33 people per square kilometre across a land area of 230,800 km².

What share of the world's population lives in Laos?

Laos is home to about 0.10% of the world's population.

What is Laos's projected population in 2050?

United Nations medium-variant projections put Laos's population at 9,757,286 in 2050, passing through 8,357,023 in 2030.

What is the median age in Laos?

The median age in Laos is 24.9 years (2025 estimate) — half the population is younger and half older than that.

Sources: World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0); median age and projections from UN World Population Prospects 2024. Live figures are estimates extrapolated from the latest official data — see methodology.