Vientiane Capital: population, poverty, child health, schooling, water, sanitation and rice

Vientiane Capital is a capital of Laos, number 2 of 18 by population. Vientiane Capital had an estimated 886,000 people in 2018, 2nd highest of 18 provinces by population and 12.8% of the 6,900,000 people in Laos. The figure is an estimate from the Lao Statistics Bureau Statistical Yearbook 2018, rounded to the nearest thousand.

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Vientiane Capital: 99.7% of people in Vientiane Capital lived in households that mainly used electricity for lighting in 2017, joint highest of 18 provinces. The national figure is 89.7%.
• Health in Vientiane Capital: 94.9% of women in Vientiane Capital who gave birth in the two years before the 2017 survey saw a doctor, nurse, midwife or auxiliary nurse at least once during that pregnancy, the highest of 18 provinces. The national figure is 78.4%.
• Education in Vientiane Capital: 63.8% of children aged 36-59 months in Vientiane Capital were attending early childhood education in 2017, the highest of 18 provinces. The national figure is 32.1%.
• Poverty and living standards in Vientiane Capital: 0.3% of people in Vientiane Capital lived in households in the poorest fifth of the national wealth index in 2017 (an index built from housing and household assets; by definition 20% of Laos is in each fifth), the lowest of 18 provinces.

How capitals are governed in Laos

Provinces (17) and Vientiane Capital. Provincial administrative committee with a chairperson (formerly the governor, who was nominated by the President); provincial People's Assembly elected with the National Assembly. Runs political, economic and social affairs and natural resources in the province.

Every tier of government in Laos

Other capitals of Laos

• Savannakhet 1,021,000
• Champasak 724,000
• Luang Prabang 455,000
• Vientiane 444,000
• Salavan 419,000
• Khammouane 414,000
• Xayaboury 406,000
• Oudomxay 329,000
• Houaphan 304,000
• Bolikhamxay 298,000
• Xiengkhuang 259,000
• Bokeo 193,000
• Luang Namtha 189,000
• Phongsaly 188,000
• Attapeu 150,000
• Sekong 122,000
• Xaysomboun 99,000

Up a level: Laos · government and power in Laos

Sources

• Lao Statistics Bureau, with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and Sports: Lao Social Indicator Survey II 2017 (MICS/DHS), Survey Findings Report: provincial tables, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e06617c29d2b…)
• Lao Statistics Bureau and World Bank: Where Are the Poor in Lao PDR? District-level poverty maps from LECS 6 (2018-19) and the 2015 census: Table 1 and Appendix 3 (poverty rate and number of poor by district), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ecabcecadf27…)
• World Bank (data: Lao Statistics Bureau): Lao PDR Population 2018, table extract: population, area and density by province (from the Lao Statistics Bureau Statistical Yearbook 2018), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e7cd19f6a53f…)
• Lao Statistics Bureau, Centre for Development and Environment and World Bank: Lao PDR Poverty 2015, table extract: share of population below the poverty line by province (2015 census-based poverty map), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 21f37c7aa915…)
• World Bank (data: Lao Statistics Bureau): Lao PDR Rice Production 2018, table extract: paddy area and production by province (from the Lao Statistics Bureau Statistical Yearbook 2018), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f498a6990a37…)

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