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Lao people
Ethnic group / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lao people are a Tai ethnic group native to Southeast Asia. They primarily speak the Lao language, which belongs to the Kra–Dai language family. Lao people constitute the majority ethnic group of Laos, comprising 53.2% of the country's total population. They are also found in significant numbers in northeastern Thailand, particularly in the Isan region, as well as in smaller communities in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar.
![]() A Lao woman wearing traditional clothing in Luang Prabang, Laos | |
Total population | |
c. 22 million (including Lao Isan)[lower-alpha 1][1] | |
Regions with significant populations | |
![]() | 3,427,665[2] |
![]() | 17,822,432 (including Lao Isan people) (2010)[3] |
![]() | 200,000[4] |
![]() | 200,000 (2015)[5] |
![]() | 101,400 (including Khmer Lao people)[1] |
![]() | 24,580 (2016)[6] |
![]() | 17,000[1] |
![]() | 17,532[7] |
![]() | 4,000[8] |
![]() | 3,602[9] |
![]() | 2,000[10] |
![]() | 1,067[11] |
Languages | |
Lao | |
Religion | |
Theravada Buddhism, Laotian folk religion | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Other Tai peoples (e.g. Black Tai people, Isan people, Dai people, etc.) |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/Laos_in_Lao.svg/40px-Laos_in_Lao.svg.png)
Culturally and linguistically, the Lao are closely related to other Tai peoples, especially the Thai and Isan people of Thailand. The majority of Lao people adhere to Theravada Buddhism, which plays a central role in their cultural and social life. However, animist beliefs and practices also remain influential, particularly in rural areas.[12]
Historically, the terms "Lao" and "Laotian" have been used inconsistently in Western literature. Prior to Laos gaining independence from French colonial rule in 1953, these terms were often applied interchangeably to all inhabitants of Laos, regardless of their ethnic background. Since independence, "Lao" has come to refer specifically to the ethnic group, while "Laotian" denotes any citizen of Laos, irrespective of ethnicity. However, some countries and international organizations continue to use these terms interchangeably in their demographic statistics.