Using improved drinking water sources vs. GDP per capita in Laos
Laos: Using improved drinking water sources vs. GDP per capita was 95.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Using improved drinking water sources vs. GDP per capita 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
The most recent figure for using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita in Laos is 95.9%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 22.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita in Laos peaked at 95.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 49.0%, in 2000.
Laos ranks 164th of 231 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Using improved drinking water sources vs. GDP per capita in Laos, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 49.0% | — |
| 2001 | 51.3% | +4.7% |
| 2002 | 53.6% | +4.5% |
| 2003 | 55.9% | +4.2% |
| 2004 | 58.1% | +4.0% |
| 2005 | 60.3% | +3.7% |
| 2006 | 62.3% | +3.4% |
| 2007 | 64.3% | +3.2% |
| 2008 | 66.3% | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 68.3% | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 70.3% | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 72.2% | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 74.2% | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 76.1% | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 78.0% | +2.5% |
| 2015 | 79.9% | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 81.8% | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 83.7% | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 85.5% | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 87.4% | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 89.2% | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 91.0% | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 92.8% | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 94.5% | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 95.9% | +1.5% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 95.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 92.0%, 1.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Laos's 95.9% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 98.8%, 97% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 59.0% | 49.0% | 68.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 78.9% | 70.3% | 87.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 92.7% | 89.2% | 95.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Laos
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)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita in Laos?
- Using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita in Laos was 95.9% 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 using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 95.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.0% in 2000.
- How does Laos rank for using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita?
- Laos ranks 164th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Using improved drinking water sources vs. GDP per capita. 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 who use an improved drinking water source, regardless of collection time. An improved drinking water source is a safely designed drinking water source and includes e.g. piped water, boreholes or tubewells and packaged or delivered water.