Drinking water service usage in Laos
Laos: Drinking water service usage was 35.2% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Drinking water service usage in Laos, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Laos recorded 35.2% for drinking water service usage in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 8.6% on the previous year and up 199.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drinking water service usage in Laos peaked at 35.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 5.1%, in 2000.
Laos ranks 137th of 163 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Drinking water service usage in Laos, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5.1% | — |
| 2001 | 6.7% | +30.9% |
| 2002 | 8.0% | +18.3% |
| 2003 | 8.3% | +4.6% |
| 2004 | 8.7% | +4.4% |
| 2005 | 9.0% | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 9.3% | +3.3% |
| 2007 | 9.6% | +3.2% |
| 2008 | 9.9% | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 10.2% | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 10.5% | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 10.8% | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 11.1% | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 11.4% | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 11.7% | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 12.0% | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 14.3% | +18.5% |
| 2017 | 16.6% | +16.3% |
| 2018 | 19.0% | +14.5% |
| 2019 | 21.5% | +13.2% |
| 2020 | 24.1% | +12.1% |
| 2021 | 26.8% | +11.2% |
| 2022 | 29.6% | +10.4% |
| 2023 | 32.4% | +9.5% |
| 2024 | 35.2% | +8.6% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 35.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 42.9%, 82% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Laos's 35.2% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 64.6%, 55% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Drinking water service usage in Laos changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +30.9% | 5.1% | 6.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.5% | 5.1% | 10.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.9% | 10.5% | 21.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.6% | 24.1% | 35.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Laos
- 134 Eswatini 38.2% compare
- 135 Sao Tome and Principe 36.7% compare
- 136 Cote d'Ivoire 36.4% compare
- 138 Tanzania 31.3% compare
- 139 Lesotho 31.3% compare
- 140 Afghanistan 30.6% compare
More environment data for Laos
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -1.77 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -1.51 Percentage change (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.9142 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.4183 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is drinking water service usage in Laos?
- Drinking water service usage in Laos was 35.2% in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drinking water service usage recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 35.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest drinking water service usage recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.1% in 2000.
- How does Laos rank for drinking water service usage?
- Laos ranks 137th out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
- Is drinking water service usage rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 199.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Drinking water service usage. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Proportion of people using an improved drinking water source that is located on premises, available when needed and free from fecal and priority chemical contamination.