"Counting Everyone, Because Everyone Counts"
The 5th Population and Housing Census (PHC) of Lao PDR is scheduled for March 2025. The PHC is amongst the government's largest and most complex operations, requiring significant preparation. As such, the Lao Statistics Bureau (LSB) and the Ministry of Planning and Investment, in close collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and key development partners, have been preparing for the upcoming census since 2021. The PHC, as a key source of population data for national and sub-national planning and decision-making, plays an integral part in formulation of the national development plan as well as the humanitarian contingency planning and responses. The 5th PHC aims to continue tracking population changes and updating information on progress towards implementation of the 9th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) 2021-2025, formulation of the 10th NSEDP 2026-2030, as well as achievements of the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action (ICPD PoA) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As such, the census requires effective preparation in terms of human resources, technologies, budget and logistics.
Importantly, the 5th PHC will be notable as the county’s first-ever digital census. An estimated 13,151 enumerators will collect data from approximately 1.4 million households in 18 provinces, within a three-week period in March 2025 via handheld devices (tablets), and using Geographic Information System (GIS)-based maps and cartography.
