Laos had 6,492,400 people in 2015, according to the Provisional report of the Fourth Lao Population and Housing Census 2015. World Bank Lao PDR country data records a total population of 7,769,819 in 2024. These figures come from different sources and measurement periods, so they should be read as separate reference points rather than as one continuous census series.
On this page
- Population size and growth
- Population density
- Provincial population totals
- Urban and rural settlement
- Provincial density comparison
- What the figures show
Population size and growth
The 2015 census report counted 6,492,400 people in Laos. The same report gives a 2005 population of 5,621,982. That is an increase of 870,418 people over the decade, with an average annual population growth rate of 1.4% from 2005 to 2015. The 2005 and 2015 totals are census-period figures reported together by the Provisional report of the Fourth Lao Population and Housing Census 2015.
The 2015 total is useful for understanding the country at the time of the Fourth Lao Population and Housing Census. It also provides the reference point for the report’s provincial, density, and settlement measures. The 2024 World Bank Lao PDR country data figure is later: it records 7,769,819 people. World Bank Lao PDR country data also reports a population growth rate of 1.4% in 2024.
Because the 2015 number is from a census report and the 2024 number is identified as World Bank country data, the two should not be treated as identical types of observation. The measurement years are explicit: 2015 for the census results and 2024 for the World Bank figures. The 2015 report’s decade comparison is likewise specifically 2005 to 2015.
Population density
National population density was 27 people per square kilometer in 2015, up from 23.7 people per square kilometer in 2005, according to the Provisional report of the Fourth Lao Population and Housing Census 2015. This national change sits alongside large differences among provinces.
In 2015, Vientiane Capital had the highest listed density at 209 people per square kilometer. Savannakhet and Champasack were each reported at 45 people per square kilometer. Saravane had 37, Bokeo had 29, and both Laos’s national figure and Vientiane Province’s figure were 27 people per square kilometer. Luangprabang had 26, Khammuane had 24, and Xayaboury had 23.
The report recorded lower densities in several northern and southern provinces. Oudomxay had 20 people per square kilometer, Luangnamtha had 19, and Huaphanh and Borikhamxay each had 18. Xiengkhuang had 17, Sekong had 15, and Attapeu had 14. Phongsaly had 11 people per square kilometer, while Xaysomboon had 10.
Density describes people per square kilometer, not the total number of residents. A province can therefore have a larger population than another while having a lower density, depending on its area. The provincial totals and density figures below are both for 2015 and come from the same census report.
Provincial population totals
The largest provincial population in 2015 was reported in Savannakhet, with 969,700 people. Vientiane Capital followed with 820,900, while Champasack had 694,000. Luangprabang had 431,900 and Vientiane Province had 419,100. Saravane had 397,000, Khammuane had 392,100, and Xayaboury had 381,400.
The mid-sized provincial totals included Oudomxay at 307,600, Huaphanh at 289,400, and Borikhamxay at 273,700. Xiengkhuang had 244,700 people. Bokeo had 179,200, Phongsaly had 178,000, and Luangnamtha had 175,800.
The smallest listed totals were in Attapeu, Sekong, and Xaysomboon. Attapeu had 139,600 people in 2015, Sekong had 113,200, and Xaysomboon had 85,200. These are population totals for the named administrative areas, not density measures.
| Area | Population in 2015 | Density in 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| Vientiane Capital | 820,900 | 209 people/km² |
| Savannakhet | 969,700 | 45 people/km² |
| Champasack | 694,000 | 45 people/km² |
| Luangprabang | 431,900 | 26 people/km² |
| Vientiane Province | 419,100 | 27 people/km² |
| Sekong | 113,200 | 15 people/km² |
| Xaysomboon | 85,200 | 10 people/km² |
The comparison shows why both measures matter. Savannakhet had more people than Vientiane Capital in 2015, while Vientiane Capital had a much higher reported density. Champasack had 694,000 people and a density of 45 people per square kilometer, matching Savannakhet’s density despite having a smaller population total.
Urban and rural settlement
In 2015, 33% of Laos’s population lived in urban areas, according to the Provisional report of the Fourth Lao Population and Housing Census 2015. The report also classified 17% of Laos’s villages as urban in 2015, up from 12% in 2005. These are different measures: one describes the share of people, while the other describes the share of villages.
The share of villages that were rural without road access was 15% in 2015, down from 34% in 2005. This is a village classification and should not be read as the percentage of the national population living without roads. The two-year comparisons in the census report are 2005 and 2015.
Urbanization varied by province. Vientiane Capital had 78% of its population in urban areas in 2015. Xayaboury had 40% of its population in urban areas. Saravane had less than 20% of its population in urban areas. The figures illustrate different settlement profiles within the country: Vientiane Capital’s population was predominantly urban by the reported measure, while Saravane’s was below one-fifth urban.
The census report also identifies substantial rural access differences. In Huaphanh, 34% of the population lived in rural villages without roads in 2015. In Sekong, the corresponding figure was 24%. These measures concern rural villages without road access and are distinct from the national urban-population share.
Provincial density comparison
The provincial density figures help place population totals in geographic context. Vientiane Capital’s 209 people per square kilometer was the clear high point among the listed areas. At the other end, Xaysomboon’s 10 and Phongsaly’s 11 people per square kilometer were the lowest reported values.
| Density group | Provinces and 2015 density |
|---|---|
| Highest listed | Vientiane Capital, 209 people/km² |
| 45 people/km² | Savannakhet; Champasack |
| 37–27 people/km² | Saravane, 37; Bokeo, 29; Laos, 27; Vientiane Province, 27 |
| 26–18 people/km² | Luangprabang, 26; Khammuane, 24; Xayaboury, 23; Oudomxay, 20; Luangnamtha, 19; Huaphanh, 18; Borikhamxay, 18 |
| 17–10 people/km² | Xiengkhuang, 17; Sekong, 15; Attapeu, 14; Phongsaly, 11; Xaysomboon, 10 |
This distribution makes the national density of 27 people per square kilometer a midpoint-like summary rather than a description of every province. Some areas were considerably denser, while others were below 20 people per square kilometer. The report’s national and provincial density measures are specifically for 2015, with the national comparison also giving 23.7 people per square kilometer in 2005.
What the figures show
The available population statistics describe Laos at several levels. Nationally, the 2015 census report gives 6,492,400 people and a 1.4% average annual growth rate over 2005–2015. Its 2005 comparison gives 5,621,982 people, an increase of 870,418 over that decade. The later World Bank Lao PDR country data figure is 7,769,819 people in 2024, with a reported 2024 population growth rate of 1.4%.
Within the 2015 census geography, population was concentrated unevenly. Savannakhet had the largest provincial total at 969,700, while Xaysomboon had 85,200. Vientiane Capital had 820,900 residents and the highest listed density at 209 people per square kilometer. Savannakhet and Champasack combined relatively large totals with a reported density of 45 people per square kilometer each.
Settlement patterns were also mixed. One-third of the population lived in urban areas in 2015, but 78% of Vientiane Capital’s population was urban and less than 20% of Saravane’s population was urban. The share of villages classified as urban rose from 12% in 2005 to 17% in 2015, while the share classified as rural without road access fell from 34% to 15%. Huaphanh’s 34% and Sekong’s 24% measures for people living in rural villages without roads show that access conditions still differed across provinces in 2015.
These statistics are best used with their labels attached: census results refer to 2005 or 2015 as stated, and World Bank country data refers to 2024. The Provisional report of the Fourth Lao Population and Housing Census 2015 is the named source for the historical population, density, and settlement figures; World Bank Lao PDR country data is the named source for the 2024 population and growth-rate figures.