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Lao population reaches 6.8 mln people in 2015

Xinhua, December 11, 2015 Adjust font size:

Lao population is estimated to reach around 6.8 million people in 2015, according to National Steering Committee of Laos.

The figure was released at the fourth Population and Housing Census held in capital Vientiane Thursday, Lao local Vientiane Times online newspaper reported on Friday. The census was conducted earlier in March 2015.

The census shows that the country's population has grown relatively slowly over the past 10 years. At the time of conducting the census, Laos' population stayed at 6,472,400 people, of which 3,237,600 were women and 3,254,800 were men.

Compared to the 2005 figure, population growth has averaged 1.45 percent per year, down from the growth rate of 2.08 percent recorded by the 2005 census.

Population movement remains largely unchanged. The census showed that 15 percent of people live in southern Savannakhet Province, 13 percent in capital Vientiane, 11 percent in southern Champassak Province, and seven percent in northern Luang Prabang province. Northern Xaysomboun Province has the smallest population, accounting for just one percent of the national total.

Population density was found to have increased slightly from 23 to 27 people per square kilometer during 2005-2015 period.

Vientiane has the highest population density of 209 people per square kilometer, while Xaysomboun and northern Xieng Khuang provinces have the lowest density at about 10 people per square kilometer.

As many as 80 percent of all villages in Laos has road access and electricity, while 90 percent of villages has a primary school, according to the census.

The population and housing census in Laos is carried out every 10 years to conform to the statistical requirements of the United Nations Development Program. Enditem