Vientiane city - Illustrative photo (Photo: Internet) Vientiane (VNA) - The total population of Laos was 6,492,228 in 2015, an increase from 5,621,982 million in 2005, of which 3,237,458 were females, according to a latest report.
The Lao Statistics Bureau under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, launched in Vientiane on October 21 the final report of the 4th Population and Housing Census (PHC) 2015 which provides important data about the country’s socio-economic development.
The enumeration for the 2015 PHC was conducted on March 1, 2015. Prior to this final report, the Provisional Report was released in December 2015, according to the Lao News Agency – KPL.
Population growth, which was about 1.45 percent per year from 2005-2015, decreased from about 2.08 percent from 1995-2005.
The crude birth rate was estimated at 28 births per 1,000 people. Vientiane capital had the lowest crude birth rate of 22 births per 1,000 people.
The infant mortality rate decreased from 70 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2005 to 57 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2015.
The final report provides detailed data and presents the results in the broad categories of population and household characteristics, including spatial distribution of the population and age, fertility, mortality, religion, education and literacy, migration, economic activity, disabilities and housing conditions.
The results from the 2015 PHC give Laos detailed demographic and socio-economic data to help planners at the national to the lowest administrative levels monitor and strengthen their plans and programmes towards LDC graduation and SDG achievements, said Minister of Planning and Investment Souphanh Keomixay.
“Around 1 in 3 Lao people are between 10-24 years old and 64 percent of the total population is in the working age group. This continues to provide Lao PDR a unique demographic window of opportunity to accelerate economic development,” said UNFPA Representative Frederkia Meijer.
The Lao Statistics Bureau will continue to analyse the PHC data in some areas in depth including migration, fertility, youth, gender, disabilities and economic activities.
In the upcoming years, a number of key statistics surveys will also be conducted to provide socio-economic data for the monitoring and implementation of national and sub-national plans and programmes./.
