Page last updated on February 5, 2013
Nationality:
noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)
adjective:
Lao or Laotian
Ethnic groups:
Lao 55%, Khmou 11%, Hmong 8%, other (over 100 minor ethnic groups) 26% (2005 census)
Languages:
Lao (official), French, English, various ethnic languages
Religions:
Buddhist 67%, Christian 1.5%, other and unspecified 31.5% (2005 census)
Population:
6,586,266 (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
[see also: Population country ranks ]
Age structure:
0-14 years: 36.1% (male 1,198,980/female 1,180,800)
[see also: Age structure 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years:
21.2% (male 694,251/female 704,101)
25-54 years:
34.2% (male 1,112,528/female 1,141,476)
55-64 years:
4.7% (male 151,755/female 157,350)
65 years and over:
3.7% (male 110,451/female 134,574) (2012 est.)
Median age:
total: 21.4 years
[see also: Median age - total country ranks ]
male:
21.1 years
female:
21.6 years (2012 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.655% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]
Birth rate:
25.68 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]
Death rate:
7.99 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]
Net migration rate:
-1.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]
Urbanization:
urban population: 33% of total population (2010)
[see also: Urbanization - urban population country ranks ]
rate of urbanization:
4.9% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major cities - population:
VIENTIANE (capital) 799,000 (2009)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - at birth country ranks ]
under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.82 male(s)/female
total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Maternal mortality rate:
470 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 20
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]
Infant mortality rate:
total: 57.77 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 34
male:
63.68 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
51.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 62.77 years
country comparison to the world: 180
male:
60.85 years
female:
64.76 years (2012 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.06 children born/woman (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]
Health expenditures:
6.5% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 92
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]
Physicians density:
0.272 physicians/1,000 population (2005)
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]
Hospital bed density:
1.2 beds/1,000 population (2005)
[see also: Hospital bed density country ranks ]
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 86% of population
rural: 38% of population
total: 53% of population
unimproved:
