Infant mortality rate: 94.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population : 53.19 years male: 51.63 years female: 54.83 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.76 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s) adjective: Lao or Laotian
Ethnic groups: Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong ("Meo") and the Yao (Mien) 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%
Religions: Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40%
Languages: Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 56.6% male: 69.4% female : 44.4% (1995 est.)
@Laos:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic conventional short form: Laos local long form : Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao local short form: none