The meeting focused on progress in field data collection for the 5th Population and Housing Census, as well as key challenges and the way forward.

According to a report from the Champassak Steering Committee for the 5th Population and Housing Census, field data collection in the province has made significant progress. To date, population and housing enumeration has been completed in 867 of the 882 Enumeration Areas, representing 99 per cent of the target.

Following the meeting with the provincial administration, the high-level delegation visited Pakson village, Sanasomboun district and Dong Ka Loung village, Pakse district, where they observed census field data collection, reviewed progress to date, and discussed key challenges and solutions to ensure the population count meets its targets.

The Lao PDR began planning for the 2025 census in 2021. After four years of preparation with support from UNFPA and development partners, including Australia, China, Switzerland, Luxembourg, the USA, and Germany the country launched nationwide field data collection for the 2025 PHC on November 3, 2025. This national undertaking will continue until December 28, 2025.

So far the nationwide field data collection achieved 69 percent of the target and it is expected that this mission will complete on December 28, 2025 as planned, according to a daily report from the Lao Statistics Bureau. 

During the meeting with Champasak provincial leaders, Mr. Santiphab welcomed the significant progress achieved in field data collection for the 2025 Population and Housing Census in the province.

He nevertheless urged provincial authorities to see the mission through to completion, underscoring that the 2025 census is one of the Lao PDR’s strategic national projects, designed to generate essential data to inform policymaking and guide the country’s future development planning.

The UNFPA Representative, Dr Bakhtiyor Kadyrov noted that UNFPA was proud to be a key partner supporting the Lao PDR in the implementation of the 5th Population and Housing Census, highlighting that the census goes beyond a simple population count. He emphasized the critical role of the digital census in strengthening national data systems, providing a robust evidence base for inclusive and forward-looking policies and development planning, and advancing the national digital transformation agenda. 

"The 5th Population and Housing Census marks a historic milestone for the Lao PDR as the country implements its first fully digital census, enabling real-time monitoring and decision-making during census fieldwork, stronger data quality, and greater transparency. This transformation has been made possible through the strong solidarity of development partners. UNFPA is honored to stand with Australia, together with Switzerland, Luxembourg, Germany, the United States, China Aid, and UNICEF, whose collective support is helping the Lao PDR build a modern, future-ready national statistical system."

Australian Ambassador Megan Jones said that Australia was proud to support the first-ever digital census and that this would provide a strong foundation for digitalisation and sustainable development of the Lao PDR.

“Australia is proud to join with the Government of the Lao PDR, UNFPA and other development partners in conducting the country's first ever digital Population and Housing Census. This modern census will provide accurate, high-quality data that serves as a foundation for building good governance in Lao PDR. By supporting this 5th Population and Housing Census, we can ensure Lao PDR possesses the essential data required for effective planning. Accurate data will help us prioritize investments mainly in the education and health sectors—to ensure that economic growth benefits everyone.”

KPL