Cambodia vs Laos: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 41.1% in Cambodia and 40.3% in Laos, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Cambodia, by 0.8 percentage points, or 1.02 times that in Laos.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

CambodiaLaosUN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)

What the numbers say

Cambodia has been higher since 2017, when it overtook Laos.
In 2025, Cambodia ranked 177 and Laos ranked 179 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Cambodia at 43.8% and Laos at 62.7% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

Year	Cambodia	Laos
2025	41.1	40.3
2024	40.9	39.6
2023	40.6	38.8
2022	40.4	38.1
2021	40.1	37.3
2020	39.8	36.6
2019	39.6	35.9
2018	37.6	35.2
2017	35	34.5
2016	32.5	33.8
2015	30.1	33.1
2014	27.8	32.7
2013	25.8	32.2
2012	23.9	31.7
2011	22.4	31.2
2010	21.1	30.7
2009	20.2	30
2008	19.7	29.4
2007	19.4	28.7
2006	19.2	28
2005	19.1	27.3
2004	19	26.5
2003	18.9	25.6
2002	18.8	24.5
2001	18.7	23.4
2000	18.6	22.2
1999	18.5	21
1998	18.4	19.9
1997	18.2	18.9
1996	17.9	18
1995	17.5	17.3
1994	17.1	16.8
1993	16.8	16.3
1992	16.4	15.9
1991	16.1	15.6
1990	15.7	15.2
1989	15.4	14.9
1988	15.1	14.7
1987	14.7	14.4
1986	14.4	14.1
1985	14.1	13.8
1984	13.8	13.5
1983	13.5	13.2
1982	13.2	12.9
1981	12.9	12.7
1980	12.7	12.4
1979	9.2	12.1
1978	5.8	11.9
1977	5.6	11.6
1976	5.1	11.3
1975	4.7	11.1
1974	19	10.8
1973	33	10.5
1972	29.4	10.2
1971	22.6	9.8
1970	17.6	9.5
1969	14	9.1
1968	11.3	8.8
1967	10.5	8.6
1966	10.4	8.4
1965	10.4	8.3
1964	10.3	8.2
1963	10.2	8.1
1962	10.3	8
1961	10.3	7.9
1960	10.2	7.8
1959	10	7.8
1958	9.8	7.8
1957	9.6	7.8
1956	9.3	7.7
1955	9	7.7
1954	8.7	7.6
1953	8.5	7.6
1952	8.2	7.6
1951	8	7.5
1950	7.9	7.5

UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050

Year	Cambodia	Laos
2026	41.3	41.1
2027	41.5	41.9
2028	41.7	42.6
2029	41.9	43.4
2030	42.1	44.3
2031	42.3	45.1
2032	42.5	45.9
2033	42.6	46.7
2034	42.7	47.6
2035	42.9	48.4
2036	43	49.3
2037	43.1	50.2
2038	43.2	51.1
2039	43.3	52
2040	43.4	52.9
2041	43.5	53.8
2042	43.6	54.8
2043	43.6	55.7
2044	43.7	56.7
2045	43.7	57.7
2046	43.8	58.7
2047	43.8	59.7
2048	43.8	60.7
2049	43.8	61.7
2050	43.8	62.7

Each country on its own

Good to know

The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Cambodia vs Laos: Urban population

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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