Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Laos
Laos: Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services was 93.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services 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 share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Laos is 93.2%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 5.9% on the previous year and up 37.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Laos peaked at 93.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 39.7%, in 2000.
Laos ranks 91st of 178 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.
Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Laos, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 39.7% | — |
| 2001 | 41.7% | +5.2% |
| 2002 | 43.8% | +4.9% |
| 2003 | 45.8% | +4.7% |
| 2004 | 47.9% | +4.4% |
| 2005 | 49.9% | +4.2% |
| 2006 | 51.9% | +4.0% |
| 2007 | 53.9% | +3.9% |
| 2008 | 55.9% | +3.7% |
| 2009 | 57.9% | +3.6% |
| 2010 | 59.9% | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 61.9% | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 63.9% | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 65.8% | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 67.8% | +3.0% |
| 2015 | 69.7% | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 71.6% | +2.8% |
| 2017 | 73.5% | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 75.4% | +2.6% |
| 2019 | 77.3% | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 79.2% | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 81.1% | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 83.0% | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 88.1% | +6.1% |
| 2024 | 93.2% | +5.9% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 93.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 75.4%, 1.2× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Laos's 93.2% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 93.4%, 100% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 48.9% | 39.7% | 57.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 68.7% | 59.9% | 77.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 84.9% | 79.2% | 93.2% | 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 share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Laos?
- Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Laos was 93.2% 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 share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 93.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.7% in 2000.
- How does Laos rank for share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services?
- Laos ranks 91st out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.6%. 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 Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services. 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, which is either located on their premises, or at a collection point, which takes no more than 30 minutes for a roundtrip.