The document provides an overview of social media, internet, and mobile phone usage in Laos as of late 2012. It notes that Laos has a population of around 6.6 million people, with 8% using the internet and 4% on social media. Mobile phone penetration is much higher at 83%. Facebook is the most popular social network in Laos, with over 268,000 users, though this only represents 4% of the population. Mobile phones are the primary way Laotians access the internet, with 95% being mobile-only users and just 0.5% having broadband subscriptions.

1. SOCIAL, DIGITAL
AND MOBILE IN
LAOS
NOVEMBER 2012
we are social

2. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND OTHER
REPORTS IN THE #SDMW SERIES, PLEASE
CONTACT SIMON KEMP AT WE ARE SOCIAL:
SAYHELLO@WEARESOCIAL.SG
@WEARESOCIALSG
+65 9146 5356
WEARESOCIAL.SG
3

3. OCT
2012 LAOS
6,586,000 34% 66%
TOTAL POPULATION URBAN RURAL
527,400 8%
INTERNET USERS INTERNET PENETRATION
268,620 4%
USERS ON TOP SOCIAL NETWORK SOCIAL NETWORKING PENETRATION
5,481,000 83%
MOBILE SUBSCRIBERS MOBILE PENETRATION
COMPILED BY @WEARESOCIALSG. FOR MORE SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYSIS AND INSIGHTS, VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WEARESOCIAL.SG. SOURCES: POPULATION: BASED ON US CENSUS BUREAU (ACCESSED SEP 2012);
3
URBANISATION: UN (2011); INTERNET: INTERNETWORLDSTATS (ACCESSED SEP 2012); SOCIAL NETWORKS: FACEBOOK (NOV 2012); MOBILE: BASED ON BUSINESS MONITOR INTERNATIONAL (Q2 2012)

4. CURRENT POPULATION OF LAOS:
6,586,000
SOURCE: THE US CENSUS BUREAU (OCT 2012) 4

5. 66%
OF LAOS’S POPULATION OF
LIVES IN RURAL AREAS
SOURCES: BASED ON DATA FROM THE US CENSUS BUREAU (SEP 2012) AND THE UN DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS (ACCESSED SEP 2012) 5

6. 55%
OF THE POPULATION OF LAOS
IS UNDER THE AGE OF 30
SOURCE: BASED ON DATA FROM THE US CENSUS BUREAU (SEP 2012) 6

7. MEDIAN AGE IN LAOS:
21
SOURCE: THE US CENSUS BUREAU (NOV 2012) 7

8. MORE THAN
ONE THIRD
OF LAOTIANS ARE
BELOW THE AGE OF 15
SOURCE: BASED ON DATA FROM THE US CENSUS BUREAU (SEP 2012) 8

9. THE LARGEST SINGLE AGE
GROUP IN LAOS IS PEOPLE AGED
11
SOURCE: THE US CENSUS BUREAU (NOV 2012) 9

10. NUMBER OF INTERNET USERS IN LAOS:
527,400
SOURCE: INTERNETWORLDSTATS (ACCESSED SEP 2012) 10

11. INTERNET PENETRATION IN LAOS:
8%
SOURCES: BASED ON DATA FROM INTERNETWORLDSTATS (ACCESSED SEP 2012) AND THE US CENSUS BUREAU (SEP 2012) 11

12. ESTIMATED NUMBER OF
BROADBAND SUBSCRIBERS IN LAOS:
30,000
SOURCE: BASED ON DATA FROM BUSINESS MONITOR INTERNATIONAL (Q2 2012) 12

13. THAT’S LESS THAN
0.5%
OF THE POPULATION
SOURCES: BASED ON DATA FROM BUSINESS MONITOR INTERNATIONAL (Q2 2012) AND THE US CENSUS BUREAU (SEP 2012) 13

14. NUMBER OF WEBSITES REGISTERED
UNDER LAOS’S ‘.LA’ DOMAIN:
30,000
SOURCE: LAOVOICES (APR 2012) 14

15. 51%
OF LAOS’S NETIZENS
ARE ON FACEBOOK
SOURCES: BASED ON DATA FROM INTERNETWORLDSTATS (ACCESS SEP 2012) AND FACEBOOK (NOV 2012) 15

16. SOCIAL MEDIA USERS IN LAOS:
268,620
SOURCE: FACEBOOK AD PLANNER (NOV 2012) 16

17. THE PENETRATION OF SOCIAL
MEDIA IN LAOS IS JUST
4%
SOURCES: BASED ON DATA FROM FACEBOOK AD PLANNER (NOV 2012) AND THE US CENSUS BUREAU (SEP 2012) 17

18. THE NUMBER OF FACEBOOK
USERS IN LAOS HAS GROWN
64%
IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS
SOURCE: SOCIALBAKERS (NOV 2012) 18

19. NEW FACEBOOK USERS
IN LAOS EVERY DAY:
581
SOURCE: BASED ON DATA FROM SOCIALBAKERS (NOV 2012) 19

20. (!
THAT’S A NEW FACEBOOK
USER EVERY 2½ MINUTES )!
SOURCE: BASED ON DATA FROM SOCIALBAKERS (NOV 2012) 20

21. 64%
OF FACEBOOK USERS IN
LAOS ARE UNDER 25
SOURCE: BASED ON DATA FROM FACEBOOK AD MANAGER (SEP 2012) 21

22. OCT
2012 FACEBOOK IN LAOS
55-64:
1% 65+:
45-54: 1%
2%
35-44:
7% 13-17:
18%
25-34: FEMALE:
25% 43%
MALE:
57%
18-24:
46%
SOURCE: FACEBOOK AD MANAGER (SEP 2012) 22

23. NUMBER OF MOBILE
SUBSCRIBERS IN LAOS:
5,481,000
SOURCE: BUSINESS MONITOR INTERNATIONAL (Q2 2012) 23

24. NEW MOBILE USERS IN LAOS IN 2011:
1,477,456
SOURCE: MINISTRY OF POSTS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS, AS CITED BY THE INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION (MAR 2012) 24

25. MOBILE PENETRATION
IN LAOS GREW BY
37%
IN 2011
SOURCE: MINISTRY OF POSTS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS, AS CITED IN INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION (MAR 2012) 25

26. MOBILE-ONLY USERS
ACCOUNT FOR
95%
OF ALL PHONE
USERS IN LAOS
SOURCE: MINISTRY OF POST AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS, AS CITED IN LAOVOICES (MAR 2012) 26

27. LAOS IS ‘MOSTLY MOBILE’
VS
5,481,000 250,000
MOBILE PHONE FIXED-LINE PHONE
SUBSCRIPTIONS SUBSCRIPTIONS
SOURCE: BASED ON DATA FROM BUSINESS MONITOR INTERNATIONAL (Q2 2012) AND THE MINISTRY OF POST & TELECOMMUNICATIONS (MAR 2012) 27

28. 20,000
LAOTIANS GET REGULAR
NEWS UPDATES VIA SMS
SOURCE: LAOS PRESS FREEDOM REPORT, AS CITED IN SEAPA (MAY 2012) 28

29. MOBILE ACCOUNTS FOR
36%
OF INTERNET USE IN LAOS
SOURCE: PINGDOM (ACCESSED NOV 2012) 29

30. 80%
OF LAOTIANS HAVE
ACCESS TO A 3G NETWORK
SOURCE: THE MINISTRY OF POST & TELECOMMUNICATIONS (MAR 2012) 30

31. HOWEVER, BARELY
300,000
LAOTIANS USE 3G
MOBILE SERVICES
SOURCE: LAOS PRESS FREEDOM REPORT, AS CITED IN SEAPA (MAY 2012) 31

32. LAOS ALREADY HAS ITS OWN
4G NETWORK
SOURCE: LAOVOICES (OCT 2012) 32

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34. WE ARE SOCIAL IS A GLOBAL CONVERSATION AGENCY.
WE HELP BRANDS TO LISTEN TO, UNDERSTAND,
AND ENGAGE IN CONVERSATIONS IN SOCIAL MEDIA.
WE’RE ALREADY HELPING MANY OF THE WORLD’S
TOP BRANDS, INCLUDING UNILEVER, ADIDAS, INTEL,
DIAGEO, NESTLÉ, HEINZ, AND LOUIS VUITTON.
IF YOU’D LIKE TO CHAT ABOUT US HELPING YOU
TOO, CALL SIMON KEMP ON +65 9146 5356, OR
EMAIL US AT SAYHELLO@WEARESOCIAL.SG.
FIND OUT MORE AT WEARESOCIAL.SG.

35. WE ARE SOCIAL SINGAPORE
@WEARESOCIALSG
+65 9146 5356
SAYHELLO@WEARESOCIAL.SG
WEARESOCIAL.SG