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
Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities 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 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.
Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Laos, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 70.2% | — |
| 2001 | 67.2% | -4.3% |
| 2002 | 64.2% | -4.5% |
| 2003 | 61.2% | -4.7% |
| 2004 | 58.2% | -4.9% |
| 2005 | 55.3% | -4.9% |
| 2006 | 52.6% | -4.8% |
| 2007 | 50.0% | -5.1% |
| 2008 | 47.3% | -5.3% |
| 2009 | 44.7% | -5.6% |
| 2010 | 42.1% | -5.9% |
| 2011 | 39.5% | -6.2% |
| 2012 | 36.9% | -6.5% |
| 2013 | 34.3% | -7.0% |
| 2014 | 31.8% | -7.4% |
| 2015 | 29.2% | -8.0% |
| 2016 | 26.7% | -8.6% |
| 2017 | 24.2% | -9.4% |
| 2018 | 21.7% | -10.2% |
| 2019 | 19.3% | -11.3% |
| 2020 | 16.8% | -12.7% |
| 2021 | 14.4% | -14.4% |
| 2022 | 12.4% | -14.2% |
| 2023 | 10.5% | -15.2% |
| 2024 | 8.7% | -16.6% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 8.7% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 26.4%, 33% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Laos's 8.7% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.4%, 3.6× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
- 67 Marshall Islands 9.5% compare
- 68 Romania 9.2% compare
- 69 Faroe Islands 9.1% compare
- 71 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 8.5% compare
- 72 Georgia 8.5% compare
- 73 Moldova 8.2% compare
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 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
If no improved sanitation facility is available, people might practice open defecation or use unimproved sanitation facilities.