Share of population using safely managed sanitation in Laos
Laos: Share of population using safely managed sanitation was 71.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of population using safely managed sanitation 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 %.
Analysis
Laos recorded 71.4% for share of population using safely managed sanitation in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 37.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population using safely managed sanitation in Laos peaked at 71.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 21.2%, in 2000.
Laos ranks 67th of 150 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Share of population using safely managed sanitation in Laos, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 21.2% | — |
| 2001 | 23.7% | +12.1% |
| 2002 | 26.1% | +10.1% |
| 2003 | 28.5% | +9.0% |
| 2004 | 30.8% | +8.2% |
| 2005 | 33.1% | +7.4% |
| 2006 | 35.2% | +6.6% |
| 2007 | 37.4% | +6.1% |
| 2008 | 39.6% | +5.7% |
| 2009 | 41.7% | +5.4% |
| 2010 | 43.8% | +5.1% |
| 2011 | 45.9% | +4.8% |
| 2012 | 48.0% | +4.5% |
| 2013 | 50.0% | +4.3% |
| 2014 | 52.1% | +4.1% |
| 2015 | 54.1% | +3.9% |
| 2016 | 56.3% | +4.0% |
| 2017 | 58.4% | +3.7% |
| 2018 | 60.4% | +3.5% |
| 2019 | 62.5% | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 64.5% | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 66.6% | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 68.3% | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 69.9% | +2.3% |
| 2024 | 71.4% | +2.1% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 71.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 37.3%, 1.9× the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Laos's 71.4% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 61.4%, 1.2× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 31.7% | 21.2% | 41.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.1% | 43.8% | 62.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 68.1% | 64.5% | 71.4% | 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 share of population using safely managed sanitation in Laos?
- Share of population using safely managed sanitation in Laos was 71.4% 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 share of population using safely managed sanitation recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 71.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of population using safely managed sanitation recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.2% in 2000.
- How does Laos rank for share of population using safely managed sanitation?
- Laos ranks 67th out of 150 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population using safely managed sanitation rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Share of population using safely managed sanitation. 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
Proportion of people using improved sanitation facilities that are not shared with other households and where excreta are safely disposed in situ or transported and treated off-site.