Short facts about people of Laos

Population:

5,635,967 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years:  42.75% (male 1,212,577; female 1,196,795) 15-64 years:  53.94% (male 1,494,927; female 1,544,851) 65 years and over:  3.31% (male 85,632; female 101,185) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.48% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:

37.84 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:

13.02 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth:  1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years:  1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years:  0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over:  0.85 male(s)/female total population:  0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

92.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population:  53.48 years male:  51.58 years female:  55.44 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:

5.12 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.05% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

1,400 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

130 (1999 est.)

Nationality:

noun:  Lao(s) or Laotian(s) adjective:  Lao or Laotian

Ethnic groups:

Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong ("Meo") and the Yao (Mien) 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%

Religions:

Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40%

Languages:

Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages

Literacy:

definition:  age 15 and over can read and write total population:  57% male:  70% female:  44% (1999 est.)

Source: World Factbook