People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Laos
Laos: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 321,392 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People in rural areas not using an improved water source 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
Laos recorded 321,392 people for people in rural areas not using an improved water source in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 24.3% on the previous year and down 75.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Laos peaked at 2.52 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 321,392 people, in 2024.
That places Laos 68th out of 178 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Laos, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2.52 million people | — |
| 2001 | 2.44 million people | -3.4% |
| 2002 | 2.35 million people | -3.6% |
| 2003 | 2.26 million people | -3.9% |
| 2004 | 2.16 million people | -4.2% |
| 2005 | 2.08 million people | -4.1% |
| 2006 | 2.00 million people | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 1.92 million people | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 1.83 million people | -4.3% |
| 2009 | 1.75 million people | -4.6% |
| 2010 | 1.66 million people | -4.9% |
| 2011 | 1.58 million people | -5.3% |
| 2012 | 1.49 million people | -5.7% |
| 2013 | 1.39 million people | -6.1% |
| 2014 | 1.30 million people | -6.7% |
| 2015 | 1.21 million people | -7.2% |
| 2016 | 1.12 million people | -7.7% |
| 2017 | 1.02 million people | -8.5% |
| 2018 | 925,070 people | -9.4% |
| 2019 | 827,584 people | -10.5% |
| 2020 | 728,672 people | -12.0% |
| 2021 | 628,346 people | -13.8% |
| 2022 | 526,911 people | -16.1% |
| 2023 | 424,584 people | -19.4% |
| 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 796,634 people, 40% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Laos's 321,392 people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 142,459 people, 2.3× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.13 million people | 1.75 million people | 2.52 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.25 million people | 827,584 people | 1.66 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 525,981 people | 321,392 people | 728,672 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 in rural areas not using an improved water source in Laos?
- People in rural areas not using an improved water source 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 in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 2.52 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 321,392 people in 2024.
- How does Laos rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Laos ranks 68th out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 75.3%. 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 in rural areas not using an improved water source. 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.