Laos Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of Laos is 8,004,838 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 7,769,819 in 2024.

Laos is ranked 103/197 by population and was ranked 105th in 2006.
Laos accounts for 0.1% of the world's population.
For the last 20 years, Laos has had an average growth rate of 1.71% per year.
Since 2006, population has increased from 5.96M people to 8M (34.2% growth in 20 years).
Laos is projected to reach 10.2M people in 2068.

Laos population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	9,342,607	-0.5%
2099	9,389,481	-0.49%
2098	9,435,427	-0.47%
2097	9,480,219	-0.46%
2096	9,524,052	-0.45%
2095	9,567,045	-0.44%
2094	9,609,471	-0.43%
2093	9,651,065	-0.42%
2092	9,691,590	-0.41%
2091	9,731,446	-0.4%
2090	9,770,116	-0.38%
2089	9,807,690	-0.37%
2088	9,844,143	-0.35%
2087	9,879,110	-0.34%
2086	9,912,903	-0.32%
2085	9,945,223	-0.3%
2084	9,975,614	-0.29%
2083	10,005,023	-0.27%
2082	10,032,558	-0.26%
2081	10,058,731	-0.24%
2080	10,083,222	-0.23%
2079	10,106,703	-0.21%
2078	10,128,372	-0.2%
2077	10,148,533	-0.17%
2076	10,165,829	-0.16%
2075	10,182,062	-0.14%
2074	10,196,505	-0.12%
2073	10,208,837	-0.1%
2072	10,218,581	-0.07%
2071	10,225,726	-0.06%
2070	10,231,909	-0.03%
2069	10,235,317	-0.003%
2068	10,235,668	0.02%
2067	10,233,930	0.05%
2066	10,228,744	0.07%
2065	10,222,027	0.09%
2064	10,212,674	0.12%
2063	10,200,753	0.14%
2062	10,186,526	0.17%
2061	10,169,161	0.2%
2060	10,149,107	0.22%
2059	10,126,671	0.25%
2058	10,100,989	0.28%
2057	10,072,578	0.31%
2056	10,041,736	0.33%
2055	10,008,916	0.36%
2054	9,972,602	0.4%
2053	9,933,363	0.42%
2052	9,891,383	0.45%
2051	9,846,656	0.48%
2050	9,799,766	0.5%
2049	9,750,669	0.54%
2048	9,697,931	0.56%
2047	9,643,484	0.6%
2046	9,586,249	0.62%
2045	9,527,029	0.65%
2044	9,465,046	0.67%
2043	9,401,665	0.72%
2042	9,334,890	0.74%
2041	9,266,149	0.77%
2040	9,195,755	0.8%
2039	9,122,969	0.84%
2038	9,046,689	0.87%
2037	8,968,700	0.9%
2036	8,888,903	0.93%
2035	8,807,373	0.96%
2034	8,723,937	0.99%
2033	8,638,238	1.03%
2032	8,550,017	1.07%
2031	8,459,669	1.1%
2030	8,367,305	1.14%
2029	8,273,173	1.18%
2028	8,176,811	1.22%
2027	8,078,122	1.26%
2026	7,977,666	1.31%
2025	7,874,813	1.35%
2024	7,769,819	1.37%
2023	7,664,993	1.4%
2022	7,559,007	1.42%
2021	7,453,194	1.45%
2020	7,346,533	1.5%
2019	7,237,636	1.54%
2018	7,128,045	1.57%
2017	7,018,147	1.58%
2016	6,908,802	1.58%
2015	6,801,645	1.47%
2014	6,703,172	1.39%
2013	6,611,385	1.42%
2012	6,518,978	1.44%
2011	6,426,590	1.46%
2010	6,334,194	1.48%
2009	6,241,642	1.51%
2008	6,148,969	1.53%
2007	6,056,236	1.56%
2006	5,963,200	1.6%
2005	5,869,523	1.52%
2004	5,781,626	1.47%
2003	5,697,945	1.55%
2002	5,610,889	1.62%
2001	5,521,482	1.66%
2000	5,431,212	1.69%
1999	5,340,784	1.76%
1998	5,248,266	1.87%
1997	5,152,011	2.11%
1996	5,045,678	2.36%
1995	4,929,409	2.5%
1994	4,809,220	2.65%
1993	4,685,060	2.75%
1992	4,559,646	2.81%
1991	4,435,118	2.86%
1990	4,311,955	2.89%
1989	4,190,974	2.91%
1988	4,072,601	2.91%
1987	3,957,612	2.88%
1986	3,846,715	2.85%
1985	3,739,985	2.81%
1984	3,637,843	2.73%
1983	3,541,001	2.64%
1982	3,450,026	2.48%
1981	3,366,631	2.25%
1980	3,292,573	1.99%
1979	3,228,202	1.78%
1978	3,171,740	1.69%
1977	3,118,923	1.76%
1976	3,064,876	1.97%
1975	3,005,521	2.24%
1974	2,939,761	2.41%
1973	2,870,573	2.46%
1972	2,801,660	2.45%
1971	2,734,628	2.43%
1970	2,669,702	2.41%
1969	2,606,959	2.38%
1968	2,546,377	2.36%
1967	2,487,715	2.33%
1966	2,431,084	2.31%
1965	2,376,200	2.3%
1964	2,322,826	2.28%
1963	2,271,061	2.3%
1962	2,219,910	2.31%
1961	2,169,796	2.28%
1960	2,121,514	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/laos | CC BY

Laos has a population of 8M as of 2026, compared to 6.91M in 2016, 5.96M in 2006, and 5.05M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 1.59% per year. Laos is ranked 81st out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Laos will have 9,586,249 people (19.8% growth) with a rank change from 103rd to 100th.

By the year 2100, Laos' population is projected to grow by 16.7% from its current level to 9.34M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	-10,645
2024	-	-	-10,284
2023	105,356	115,359	-10,003
2022	106,617	116,620	-10,003
2021	105,018	115,323	-10,305
2020	108,304	118,609	-10,305
2019	109,492	119,797	-10,305
2018	109,681	119,986	-10,305
2017	110,115	120,515	-10,400
2016	108,577	119,978	-11,401
2015	105,732	118,723	-12,991
2014	91,222	118,103	-26,881
2013	92,353	119,845	-27,492
2012	92,453	121,324	-28,871
2011	92,325	122,863	-30,538
2010	92,470	122,516	-30,046
2009	92,629	122,174	-29,545
2008	92,724	121,042	-28,318
2007	92,747	119,980	-27,233
2006	93,316	118,602	-25,286
2005	94,027	118,165	-24,138
2004	81,768	121,888	-40,120
2003	85,586	122,158	-36,572
2002	88,515	122,110	-33,595
2001	90,295	123,847	-33,552
2000	90,236	124,201	-33,965
1999	90,623	127,255	-36,632
1998	94,412	128,409	-33,997
1997	98,100	130,388	-32,288
1996	114,568	131,142	-16,574
1995	117,962	132,241	-14,279
1994	122,419	134,201	-11,782
1993	125,905	135,295	-9,390
1992	124,915	132,417	-7,502
1991	124,133	129,523	-5,390
1990	122,197	125,297	-3,100
1989	119,772	121,044	-1,272
1988	116,970	117,050	-80
1987	113,005	113,005	0
1986	108,791	109,266	-475
1985	104,671	106,047	-1,376
1984	99,620	102,318	-2,698
1983	94,070	98,178	-4,108
1982	87,874	94,058	-6,184
1981	78,902	89,963	-11,061
1980	69,209	86,548	-17,339
1979	59,535	82,852	-23,317
1978	53,396	80,604	-27,208
1977	52,241	79,149	-26,908
1976	55,837	77,575	-21,738
1975	62,867	76,725	-13,858
1974	68,652	74,652	-6,000
1973	69,739	70,513	-774
1972	68,095	68,095	0
1971	65,959	65,959	0
1970	63,896	63,896	0
1969	61,595	61,595	0
1968	59,567	59,567	0
1967	57,763	57,763	0
1966	55,494	55,494	0
1965	54,268	54,268	0
1964	52,482	52,482	0
1963	51,056	51,056	0
1962	51,244	51,244	0
1961	48,992	48,992	0
1960	47,575	47,575	0

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/laos | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 90.6% of the population change in Laos is from natural causes (a gain of 1,183,013 people) and 9.41% is from migration (a loss of 122,899 people).

As of 2024, 51,446 residents or 0.7% of the population were not native-born in Laos, compared to 32,955 and 0.5% in 2010.

Laos population clock

	Laos	Rank
Current population	8004838	103/197
Percent of world population	0.1%	103/197
One net population change	5.01 minutes	89/197
One birth every	3.22 minutes	93/196
One death every	11 minutes	107/196
Daily growth/decline	+287	89/197
Annual growth/decline	+104,826	89/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+1.37%	77/197
One migration net change every	49.5 minutes	134/196
Annual migration change	-10,645	134/196
Foreign-born residents	51,446	149/195
Foreign-born share of population	0.7%	166/195

Largest cities by population

Laos
City	Population
Vientiane	948K
Thakhek	90.8K
Luang Prabang	53.8K

Laos population statistics

	Laos	World
Life expectancy	69.7 years	73.8 years
Average age	28.3 years	33.8 years
Median age	25.6 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	50.2:49.8	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	2.42 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	89.5 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Laos.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/laos | CC BY