People not using improved drinking water sources in Laos
Laos: People not using improved drinking water sources was 321,392 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People not using improved drinking water sources 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 people.
Analysis
In 2024, people not using improved drinking water sources in Laos stood at 321,392 people. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 24.3% on the previous year and down 78.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using improved drinking water sources in Laos peaked at 2.77 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 321,392 people, in 2024.
Laos ranks 75th of 231 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People not using improved drinking water sources in Laos, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2.77 million people | — |
| 2001 | 2.69 million people | -2.9% |
| 2002 | 2.60 million people | -3.2% |
| 2003 | 2.51 million people | -3.4% |
| 2004 | 2.42 million people | -3.7% |
| 2005 | 2.33 million people | -3.7% |
| 2006 | 2.25 million people | -3.6% |
| 2007 | 2.16 million people | -3.9% |
| 2008 | 2.07 million people | -4.2% |
| 2009 | 1.98 million people | -4.5% |
| 2010 | 1.88 million people | -4.8% |
| 2011 | 1.78 million people | -5.2% |
| 2012 | 1.68 million people | -5.7% |
| 2013 | 1.58 million people | -6.2% |
| 2014 | 1.47 million people | -6.7% |
| 2015 | 1.37 million people | -7.3% |
| 2016 | 1.26 million people | -8.0% |
| 2017 | 1.14 million people | -8.9% |
| 2018 | 1.03 million people | -10.0% |
| 2019 | 913,351 people | -11.4% |
| 2020 | 793,175 people | -13.2% |
| 2021 | 670,037 people | -15.5% |
| 2022 | 544,223 people | -18.8% |
| 2023 | 424,583 people | -22.0% |
| 2024 | 321,392 people | -24.3% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 321,392 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 912,712 people, 35% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Laos's 321,392 people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 8,111 people, 39.6× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.38 million people | 1.98 million people | 2.77 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.41 million people | 913,351 people | 1.88 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 550,682 people | 321,392 people | 793,175 people | 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)
- 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 people not using improved drinking water sources in Laos?
- People not using improved drinking water sources in Laos was 321,392 people 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 people not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 2.77 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 321,392 people in 2024.
- How does Laos rank for people not using improved drinking water sources?
- Laos ranks 75th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 78.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 People not using improved drinking water sources. 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
Number of people not using improved drinking water sources. These people might use surface water sources or unprotected springs or wells, as no safe and reliable improved drinking water source is available to them.