Number of people living in extreme poverty in Laos
Laos: Number of people living in extreme poverty was 7.22 million people in 2024. ▲ Rising
Number of people living in extreme poverty in Laos, 1992–2024
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2024, number of people living in extreme poverty in Laos stood at 7.22 million people. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
That represents a change of up 40.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in extreme poverty in Laos peaked at 7.22 million people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.97 million people, in 1997.
That places Laos 77th out of 120 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Number of people living in extreme poverty in Laos, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 2.65 million people | — |
| 1997 | 1.97 million people | -25.9% |
| 2002 | 3.20 million people | +62.9% |
| 2007 | 3.89 million people | +21.5% |
| 2012 | 5.12 million people | +31.6% |
| 2018 | 6.05 million people | +18.1% |
| 2024 | 7.22 million people | +19.3% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 7.22 million people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.39 million people, 50% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Laos's 7.22 million people is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 71.66 million people, 10% of the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.31 million people | 1.97 million people | 2.65 million people | 2 |
| 2000s | 3.55 million people | 3.20 million people | 3.89 million people | 2 |
| 2010s | 5.59 million people | 5.12 million people | 6.05 million people | 2 |
| 2020s | 7.22 million people | 7.22 million people | 7.22 million people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Laos
More poverty & inequality data for Laos
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 2.42 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 4,196 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 2.31 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 10.62 (2022)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 10.6% (2022)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in extreme poverty in Laos?
- Number of people living in extreme poverty in Laos was 7.22 million people in 2024, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 7.22 million people in 2024.
- What is the lowest number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.97 million people in 1997.
- How does Laos rank for number of people living in extreme poverty?
- Laos ranks 77th out of 120 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of people living in extreme poverty rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 40.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in extreme poverty. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption above $3 per day.