Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Laos

Laos: Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities was 8.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
8.7%
Change on year
down 16.6%
World rank
70th
of 232 countries
All-time high
70.2%
in 2000
All-time low
8.7%
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Laos, 2000–2024

0204060802000201220242000: 70.2 %2001: 67.2 %2002: 64.2 %2003: 61.2 %2004: 58.2 %2005: 55.3 %2006: 52.6 %2007: 50 %2008: 47.3 %2009: 44.7 %2010: 42.1 %2011: 39.5 %2012: 36.9 %2013: 34.3 %2014: 31.8 %2015: 29.2 %2016: 26.7 %2017: 24.2 %2018: 21.7 %2019: 19.3 %2020: 16.8 %2021: 14.4 %2022: 12.4 %2023: 10.5 %2024: 8.7 %

Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Laos recorded 8.7% for share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 16.6% on the previous year and down 72.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Laos peaked at 70.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 8.7%, in 2024.

Laos ranks 70th of 232 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 57.1% 44.7% 70.2% 10
2010s 30.6% 19.3% 42.1% 10
2020s 12.6% 8.7% 16.8% 5

Countries ranked near Laos

  1. 67 Marshall Islands 9.5% compare
  2. 68 Romania 9.2% compare
  3. 69 Faroe Islands 9.1% compare
  4. 71 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 8.5% compare
  5. 72 Georgia 8.5% compare
  6. 73 Moldova 8.2% compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More reference data data for Laos

All data for Laos →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Laos?
Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Laos was 8.7% 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 not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Laos?
The highest recorded value was 70.2% in 2000.
What is the lowest share of population not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Laos?
The lowest recorded value was 8.7% in 2024.
How does Laos rank for share of population not using improved sanitation facilities?
Laos ranks 70th out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in Laos?
Over the last ten years it is down 72.5%. 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 Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities. 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

Indicator
Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities
Unit
%
Source
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
232 places, 5,597 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

If no improved sanitation facility is available, people might practice open defecation or use unimproved sanitation facilities.