Population:
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5,921,545 (July 2003 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 42.2% (male 1,255,172; female 1,242,823)
15-64 years: 54.6% (male 1,592,697; female 1,639,431)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 87,192; female 104,230) (2003 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 18.5 years
male: 18.1 years
female: 18.9 years (2002)
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Population growth rate:
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2.45% (2003 est.)
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Birth rate:
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36.93 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
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Death rate:
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12.39 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 88.94 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 78.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 99.1 deaths/1,000 live births
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 54.3 years
male: 52.34 years
female: 56.33 years (2003 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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4.94 children born/woman (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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1,400 (2001 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than 150 (2001 est.)
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Nationality:
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noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)
adjective: Lao or Laotian
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Ethnic groups:
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Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong ("Meo") and the Yao (Mien) 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%
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Religions:
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Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%)
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Languages:
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Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 52.8%
male: 67.5%
female: 38.1% (2003 est.)
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