The 2015 Census of Population and Housing of Lao PDR was conducted in March 2015 with 1st of March as the census reference date.   This is the fourth in a series of decennial censuses conducted during the post-independence era.  Previous censuses were carried out in 2005, 1995 and 1985. Included in the census enumeration of 2015 are: all Lao citizens who usually reside in the country; Lao citizens who are temporarily residing abroad;  citizens of foreign countries who reside in Laos at the time of the census.