Population density in Laos
Laos: Population density was 33.21 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
33.21 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
166th
of 215 countries
All-time high
33.21 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
9.4 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Laos, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
In 2023, population density in Laos stood at 33.21 people per sq. km of land area. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 15.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Laos peaked at 33.21 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 9.4 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
Laos ranks 166th of 215 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in Laos, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 9.4 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 9.62 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1963 | 9.84 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1964 | 10.06 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1965 | 10.3 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1966 | 10.53 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1967 | 10.78 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1968 | 11.03 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1969 | 11.3 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1970 | 11.57 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1971 | 11.85 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1972 | 12.14 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 12.44 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1974 | 12.74 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1975 | 13.02 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1976 | 13.28 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1977 | 13.51 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1978 | 13.74 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1979 | 13.99 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1980 | 14.27 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1981 | 14.59 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 14.95 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1983 | 15.34 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1984 | 15.76 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1985 | 16.2 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1986 | 16.67 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1987 | 17.15 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1988 | 17.65 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1989 | 18.16 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1990 | 18.68 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 19.22 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1992 | 19.76 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1993 | 20.3 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 20.84 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 21.36 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1996 | 21.86 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1997 | 22.32 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 22.74 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 23.14 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 23.53 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 23.92 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 24.31 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 24.69 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 25.05 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 25.43 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 25.84 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 26.24 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 26.64 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 27.04 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 27.44 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 27.84 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 28.25 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 28.65 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 29.04 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 29.47 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 29.93 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 30.41 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 30.88 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 31.36 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 31.83 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 32.29 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 32.75 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 33.21 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10.32 people per sq. km of land area | 9.4 people per sq. km of land area | 11.3 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 12.83 people per sq. km of land area | 11.57 people per sq. km of land area | 13.99 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 16.07 people per sq. km of land area | 14.27 people per sq. km of land area | 18.16 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.02 people per sq. km of land area | 18.68 people per sq. km of land area | 23.14 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.27 people per sq. km of land area | 23.53 people per sq. km of land area | 27.04 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.33 people per sq. km of land area | 27.44 people per sq. km of land area | 31.36 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.52 people per sq. km of land area | 31.83 people per sq. km of land area | 33.21 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Laos
- 163 Palau 38.54 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 164 Kyrgyzstan 37.02 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 165 United States 36.81 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 167 Venezuela 32.09 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 168 Estonia 32.07 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 169 Latvia 30.27 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Laos
- Population in the largest city 23.8% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 25.98 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in largest city 755,941 (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 0.15 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 11.76 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Laos?
- Population density in Laos was 33.21 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 33.21 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.4 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Laos rank for population density?
- Laos ranks 166th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.