Population and Demographics

The demographic makeup of the population is uncertain as the government divides the people into three groups according to the altitude at which they live, rather than according to ethnic origin. The lowland Lao (Lao Loum) account for 68%, upland Lao (Lao Theung) for 22%, and the highland Lao (Lao Soung, including the Hmong and the Yao) for 9%. Some Vietnamese and Chinese minorities remain (1%), particularly in the towns, but many left in two waves - after independence in the late 1940s and again after 1975.

Ethnic Lao, the principal lowland inhabitants and politically and culturally dominant group, make up the bulk of the Lao Loum and around 60% of the total population. They are a branch of the Tai people who began migrating southward from China in the first millennium AD. In the north, there are mountain tribes of Miao-Yao, Austro-Asiatic, Tibeto-Burman - Hmong, Yao, Akha, and Lahu who migrated into the region in the 19th century. Collectively, they are known as Lao Sung or highland Lao. In the central and southern mountains, Mon-Khmer tribes known as Lao Theung or upland Lao, predominate.

The principal religion is Theravada Buddhism, although animism is common among the mountain tribes. Buddhism and spirit worship coexist easily. There also is a small number of Christians and Muslims.

The term 'Laotian' is a political term that also includes the non-ethnic Lao groups within Laos and identifies them as 'Laotian' because of their political citizenship. In a similar vein the word 'Lao' can also describe the people, cuisine, language and culture of the people of Northeast Thailand (Isan), Northern Thailand (Chiangmai) and (Chiangrai) who are ethnic Lao.

Facts and Figures

• Population: 6,521,998
• Age Structure:
  • 0-14 years: 41.2% (male 1,349,352/female 1,338,252)
  • 15-64 years: 55.7% (male 1,795,029/female 1,835,168)
  • 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 90,188/female 114,009)
• Median Age:
  • Total: 19 years
  • Male: 18.7 years
  • Female: 19.3 years
• Population Growth Rate: 2.37%
• Birth Rate: 34.98 births/1,000 population
• Death Rate: 11.28 deaths/1,000 population
• Net Migration Rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
• Sex Ratio:
  • At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
  • Under 15 years: 1.008 male(s)/female
  • 15-64 years: 0.978 male(s)/female
  • 65 years and over: 0.791 male(s)/female
  • Total population: 0.984 male(s)/female
• Infant Mortality Rate:
  • Total: 81.44 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Male: 90.91 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Female: 71.56 deaths/1,000 live births
• Life Expectancy at Birth:
  • Total population: 55.89 years
  • Male: 53.82 years
  • Female: 58.04 years
• Total Fertility Rate: 4.59 children born/woman
• HIV/AIDS:
  • Adult prevalence rate: 0.1%
  • People living with HIV/AIDS: 1,700
• Ethnic Groups:
  • Lao Loum (lowland) 68%
  • Lao Theung (upland) 22%
  • Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao 9%
  • Ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%
• Religions:
  • Buddhist 65%
  • Animist 32.9%
  • Christian 1.3%
  • Other and unspecified 0.8%
• Languages:
  • Lao (official)
  • French
  • English
  • Various ethnic languages
• Literacy:
  • Total population: 68.7%
  • Male: 77%
  • Female: 60.9%