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The People of Laos

Lao or Laotian People

Laos' map

Population: 6,834,942 (July 2009 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 40.8% (male 1,400,126/female 1,386,480) 15-64 years: 56.1% (male 1,898,995/female 1,936,892) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 92,070/female 120,379) (2009 est.)

Median age: total: 19.3 years male: 19 years female: 19.6 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.316% (2009 est.)

Death rate: 11.02 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: NA (2009 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 77.82 deaths/1,000 live births male: 86.94 deaths/1,000 live births female: 68.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 56.68 years male: 54.56 years female: 58.9 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.41 children born/woman (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 5,500 (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: fewer than 100 (2007 est.)

Nationality: noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s) adjective: Lao or Laotian

Ethnic groups: Lao 55%, Khmou 11%, Hmong 8%, other (over 100 minor ethnic groups) 26% (2005 census)

Religions: Buddhist 67%, Christian 1.5%, other and unspecified 31.5% (2005 census)

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

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 68.7% male: 77% female: 60.9% (2001 est.)