Age structure: 0-14 years: 42.2% (male 1,255,172; female 1,242,823)
15-64 years: 54.6% (male 1,592,697; female 1,639,431)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 87,192; female 104,230) (2003 est.)

Median age: total: 18.5 years
male: 18.1 years
female: 18.9 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 2.45% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 36.93 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 12.39 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 88.94 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 78.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 99.1 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 54.3 years
male: 52.34 years
female: 56.33 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.94 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1,400 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 150 (2001 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 ("Meo") and the Yao (Mien) 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: 52.8%
male: 67.5%
female: 38.1% (2003 est.)

NOTE: The information regarding Laos on this page is re-published from the 2003 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Guinea Geography 2003 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Laos People 2003 should be addressed to the CIA.