The administrative divisions of Laos are organised into three principal levels of government. At the first level, the country is divided into 17 provinces (khoueng) and one prefecture (nakhon louang), the Vientiane Prefecture, which has a status equivalent to a province.
The second level consists of districts (muang), which administer provincial territory and serve as the principal local administrative units.
Districts are further divided into sub-districts (tasseng), which have formed the lowest level of state administration.
Structural hierarchy Hierarchy Level 1st2nd 3rd 4th DivisionType Province() District() Sub-district() Village() Capital Region ()
Provinces
No. Province Capital Area (km2) Population2005 Census Population2015 Census PopulationMid 2023 Estimate 1 Attapeu Attapeu (Samakkhixay district) 10,320112,120139,628147,000 2 Bokeo Houayxay (Houayxay district) 6,196145,263179,243213,300 3 Bolikhamsai Paksan (Paksane District) 14,863225,301273,691330,700 4 Champasak Pakse (Pakse District) 15,415607,370694,023781,200 5 Houaphanh Xam Neua (Xamneua District) 16,500280,938289,393317,100 6 Khammouane Thakhek (Thakhek District) 16,315337,390392,052451,300 7 Luang Namtha Luang Namtha (Namtha District) 9,325145,310175,753208,900 8 Luang Prabang Luang Prabang (Luang Prabang district) 16,875407,039431,889477,700 9 Oudomxay Muang Xay (Xay District) 15,370265,179307,622360,800 10 Phongsaly Phongsali (Phongsaly District) 16,270165,447177,989197,600 11 Sainyabuli Sayabouly (Xayabury District) 16,389338,669381,376439,400 12 Salavan Salavan (Salavan District) 10,691324,327396,942464,800 13 Savannakhet Savannakhet (Kaysone Phomvihane District) 21,774825,902969,6971,117,500 14 Sekong Sekong (Lamarm District) 7,66584,995113,048136,700 15 Vientiane Prefecture Vientiane (Chanthabouly district) 3,920698,318820,9401,009,300 16 Vientiane Province Phonhong (Phonhong District) 15,610361,891419,090479,400 17 Xiengkhouang Phonsavan (Pek District) 14,751229,596244,684274,400 18 Xaisomboun Anouvong (Anouvong district) 8,55166,42785,168116,800 Totals 236,8005,621,9826,492,2287,545,800 The 2015 Census total was estimated to have an under-enumeration of 2.76%, resulting in a revised 2015 estimate of 6,671,680.
Districts
Each province is subdivided into districts (muang).
History After the Lao People's Democratic Republic was established in 1975, Laos was administratively divided into 16 provinces and the Vientiane municipality. These were subdivided into 112 districts, which are further divided into subdistricts (tasseng), and finally into more than 11,000 villages. In 1991, subdistricts were officially abolished in principle.
In mid-1992, Special Zone of Xienghone-Hongsa was established in Sainyabuli province. In June 1994, Special Zone of Xaisomboun was established.
In 2013, Xaisomboun Province was established, encompassing the territory of the former Special Zone of Xaisomboun.
2025 administrative reform In 2025, Laos proposed a comprehensive revision of the Local Administration Law, representing the country's most significant reform of local administration since the law was enacted in 2015.
A central feature of the reform is the reorganisation of the local administrative hierarchy. Under the proposal, sub-districts will replace villages as the lowest level of formal state administration.
References