Mekong River Commission

2. The flood in the Lower Mekong River Basin (cont')

2.3 The population

Over 55 million people live in the Lower Mekong Basin. The percentage of territory and population within the basin varies considerably from one country to another. Cambodia and Lao PDR lie largely within the basin, but together constitute only 27% of the basin's population. The basin territory in Thailand is only 37% of the country but comprises 42% of the basin's population. In Viet Nam, the Mekong Delta and Central Highlands comprise only 20% of the country, but contribute 31% of the basin's population. Approximately 80% of the basin's population live in rural areas. Population density is very low at 87 people per km2. However, if the limits of arable land are considered, net densities are significantly higher, particularly in Lao PDR (465/km2) and Viet Nam (395/km2 and up to 900/km2 in some districts of the Mekong Delta).

Figure 4: Percentage of population living in the Lower Mekong Basin