Languages spoken in Laos
Asia · Capital: Vientiane · Population 8 million
The official language of Laos is Lao. An estimated 69% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 5.5 million people. The only other recorded language is Hmong Daw, at 2.3% of the population. Lao belongs to the Tai-Kadai language family. Lao is not recorded in any of Laos's five neighbours. In total, two languages are recorded in Laos, and their shares add up to 71.3% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 0.7 of them.
What languages are spoken in Laos?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| LaoTai-Kadai | 69% | Official | 5.5 million |
| Hmong DawHmong-Mien | 2.3% | Spoken | 182,932 |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Laos?
The official language of Laos is Lao. Lao is spoken by an estimated 69% of the population, or roughly 5.5 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak Lao in Laos?
An estimated 69% of Laos's 8 million people speak Lao, which works out at roughly 5.5 million speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Laos
- Capital
- Vientiane
- Population
- 8 million
- Continent
- Asia
- Area
- 236,800 km²
- Currency
- LAK
- Languages recorded
- 2
- Land borders
- 5
- ISO codes
- LA / LAO / 418
Which countries border Laos?
Laos shares a land border with five countries: China, Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, and Vietnam. None of them records Lao, the most widely spoken language in Laos, so the land borders here are also language borders.
Explore more
Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.