Laos Population

Laos is Southeast Asia's demographic latecomer, still growing while neighbours like Thailand shrink, though its fertility is now falling quickly. It remains the most sparsely populated country in the region, and many of its young people cross the Mekong to work in Thailand, a quiet outflow that shapes its future as much as births do. The projection sees a peak in the late 2060s.

With roughly 7.9 million people as of 2026, Laos ranks 103rd in the world by population. In South-Eastern Asia, where it lies, that future is driven by fertility, longevity and the movement of people across its borders. Population density stands at about 35 people for every square kilometre of land.

Growth continues for Laos until around 2068, the year its population is set to crest at about 10.2 million. From there a slow fall takes it to roughly 9.3 million by century's end.

Half of Laos is currently younger than about 25, but by 2100 the median age is projected to reach around 45, even as life expectancy improves from about 69 years. That ageing slowly changes everything from the size of the workforce to the cost of care and pensions.

Fertility is around 2.40 births per woman, above the replacement level, which keeps natural growth positive for now. Net outward migration also weighs on the total, with more people leaving than arriving.

Read these numbers as the midpoint of a range. Under the UN's high and low fertility paths Laos's 2100 population could land well above or below the figures here; the medium variant is simply the central case.