Laos' People | Laos People

Population: 6,217,141 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 41.6% (male 1,300,094/female 1,289,227) 15-64 years: 55.2% (male 1,693,494/female 1,737,196) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 88,744/female 108,386) (2005 est.)

Median age: Total: 18.74 years male: 18.42 years female: 19.08 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.42% (2005 est.)

Death rate: 11.83 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio: At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate: Total: 85.22 deaths/1,000 live births male: 95.04 deaths/1,000 live births female: 75.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: Total population: 55.08 years male: 53.07 years female: 57.17 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.77 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1,700 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: Less than 200 (2003 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 and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%

Religions: Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%)

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

Literacy: Definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 66.4% male: 77.4% female: 55.5% (2002)

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