Lakes and rivers permanent water area in Laos
Laos: Lakes and rivers permanent water area was 1,074 in 2022. ▲ Rising
Lakes and rivers permanent water area in Laos, 2000–2022
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for lakes and rivers permanent water area in Laos is 1,074, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 14.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lakes and rivers permanent water area in Laos peaked at 1,074 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 519.01, in 2000.
Laos ranks 80th of 252 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Lakes and rivers permanent water area in Laos, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 519.01 | — |
| 2001 | 553.19 | +6.6% |
| 2002 | 545.94 | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 725.44 | +32.9% |
| 2004 | 912.4 | +25.8% |
| 2005 | 924.68 | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 915.96 | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 910.2 | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 905.76 | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 911.22 | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 925.27 | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 923.7 | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 940.56 | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 954.79 | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 956.24 | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 968.94 | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 997.31 | +2.9% |
| 2017 | 1,005 | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 1,028 | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 1,051 | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 1,061 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 1,059 | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 1,074 | +1.5% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 1,074 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 287.35, 3.7× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Laos's 1,074 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 98.79, 10.9× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Lakes and rivers permanent water area 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | +32.9% | 545.94 | 725.44 |
| 2004 | +25.8% | 725.44 | 912.4 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 782.38 | 519.01 | 924.68 | 10 |
| 2010s | 975.09 | 923.7 | 1,051 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,065 | 1,059 | 1,074 | 3 |
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)
- 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 lakes and rivers permanent water area in Laos?
- Lakes and rivers permanent water area in Laos was 1,074 in 2022, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest lakes and rivers permanent water area recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 1,074 in 2022.
- What is the lowest lakes and rivers permanent water area recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 519.01 in 2000.
- How does Laos rank for lakes and rivers permanent water area?
- Laos ranks 80th out of 252 countries with data for 2022.
- Is lakes and rivers permanent water area rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Lakes and rivers permanent water area (square kilometres). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).