Sanitation facilities usage in Laos
Laos: Sanitation facilities usage was 678,318 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
Sanitation facilities usage 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
In 2024, sanitation facilities usage in Laos stood at 678,318 people. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 14.5% on the previous year and down 64.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sanitation facilities usage in Laos peaked at 3.33 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 678,318 people, in 2024.
Laos ranks 44th of 232 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Sanitation facilities usage in Laos, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 3.33 million people | — |
| 2001 | 3.24 million people | -2.7% |
| 2002 | 3.14 million people | -2.9% |
| 2003 | 3.04 million people | -3.2% |
| 2004 | 2.94 million people | -3.4% |
| 2005 | 2.84 million people | -3.4% |
| 2006 | 2.75 million people | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 2.65 million people | -3.4% |
| 2008 | 2.55 million people | -3.7% |
| 2009 | 2.45 million people | -4.0% |
| 2010 | 2.35 million people | -4.3% |
| 2011 | 2.24 million people | -4.6% |
| 2012 | 2.13 million people | -4.9% |
| 2013 | 2.02 million people | -5.3% |
| 2014 | 1.90 million people | -5.8% |
| 2015 | 1.78 million people | -6.2% |
| 2016 | 1.66 million people | -6.7% |
| 2017 | 1.54 million people | -7.3% |
| 2018 | 1.42 million people | -8.1% |
| 2019 | 1.29 million people | -9.1% |
| 2020 | 1.16 million people | -10.2% |
| 2021 | 1.02 million people | -11.7% |
| 2022 | 905,450 people | -11.3% |
| 2023 | 793,100 people | -12.4% |
| 2024 | 678,318 people | -14.5% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 678,318 people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 585,262 people, 1.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Laos's 678,318 people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 98.33 people, 6898.3× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.89 million people | 2.45 million people | 3.33 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.83 million people | 1.29 million people | 2.35 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 910,662 people | 678,318 people | 1.16 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Laos
More reference data data for Laos
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6615 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.913 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.88 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3021 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.88 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.22 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 3.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 12.95 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.64 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sanitation facilities usage in Laos?
- Sanitation facilities usage in Laos was 678,318 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 sanitation facilities usage recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 3.33 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest sanitation facilities usage recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 678,318 people in 2024.
- How does Laos rank for sanitation facilities usage?
- Laos ranks 44th out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sanitation facilities usage rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 64.3%. 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 Sanitation facilities usage. 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
Open defecation includes defecating in fields, forests, bushes, bodies of water or other open spaces, not using any sanitation facilities.