Rural population, per square kilometre in Laos
Laos: Rural population, per square kilometre was 20.32 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
20.32 units per square kilometre
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
128th
of 215 countries
All-time high
20.32 units per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
8.66 units per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Rural population, per square kilometre in Laos, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population, per square kilometre in Laos is 20.32 units per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population, per square kilometre in Laos peaked at 20.32 units per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 8.66 units per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places Laos 128th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Rural population, per square kilometre in Laos, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 8.66 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 8.85 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1963 | 9.05 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1964 | 9.24 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1965 | 9.44 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1966 | 9.65 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1967 | 9.85 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1968 | 10.06 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1969 | 10.26 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1970 | 10.47 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1971 | 10.68 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1972 | 10.9 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1973 | 11.13 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1974 | 11.36 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1975 | 11.58 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1976 | 11.78 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1977 | 11.95 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1978 | 12.11 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 12.29 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1980 | 12.5 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1981 | 12.74 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1982 | 13.02 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1983 | 13.32 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1984 | 13.63 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1985 | 13.97 units per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 14.32 units per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 14.68 units per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1988 | 15.06 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1989 | 15.45 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 15.83 units per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1991 | 16.22 units per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 16.61 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 16.99 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 17.34 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 17.67 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 17.93 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 18.11 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 18.22 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 18.28 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 18.31 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 18.33 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 18.35 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 18.37 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 18.4 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 18.48 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 18.59 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 18.7 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 18.81 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 18.92 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 19.03 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 19.15 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 19.28 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 19.41 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 19.56 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 19.71 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 19.81 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 19.91 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 20.01 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 20.1 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 20.17 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 20.24 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 20.28 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 20.32 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 20.32 units per square kilometre is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 43.64 units per square kilometre, 47% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Laos's 20.32 units per square kilometre is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 27.04 units per square kilometre, 75% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 9.45 units per square kilometre | 8.66 units per square kilometre | 10.26 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 11.43 units per square kilometre | 10.47 units per square kilometre | 12.29 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.87 units per square kilometre | 12.5 units per square kilometre | 15.45 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.32 units per square kilometre | 15.83 units per square kilometre | 18.28 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.53 units per square kilometre | 18.31 units per square kilometre | 18.92 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.6 units per square kilometre | 19.03 units per square kilometre | 20.1 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.25 units per square kilometre | 20.17 units per square kilometre | 20.32 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Laos
- 125 Fiji 20.94 units per square kilometre compare
- 126 Panama 20.52 units per square kilometre compare
- 127 Vanuatu 20.43 units per square kilometre compare
- 129 Solomon Islands 20 units per square kilometre compare
- 130 Ukraine 19.88 units per square kilometre compare
- 131 Papua New Guinea 19.49 units per square kilometre compare
More agriculture & rural data for Laos
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 9.89 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1662 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 386.32 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.0583 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5969 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 16.6% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 16.6% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 10.3% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 4.6% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population, per square kilometre in Laos?
- Rural population, per square kilometre in Laos was 20.32 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 20.32 units per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.66 units per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Laos rank for rural population, per square kilometre?
- Laos ranks 128th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is rural population, per square kilometre rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Rural population, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Rural population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Rural population ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Rural population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Rural population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.