Description

GEO1_LA identifies the household's province of residence within Laos in the 2011 and 2017 MICS surveys. Provinces are the primary level of geography in Laos. Note that the 2006 survey is not included in GEO1_LA.

The first three digits of GEO1_LA provide the country code; the last three digits specify the geographic unit within the country. Leading zeros are used when the geographical unit within the country requires less than a three-digit code. Other geography variables for Laos include GEO1_LA2006, GEO1_LA2011, and GEO1_LA2017.

A GIS map (in shapefile format) corresponding to GEO1_LA is available on the GIS Boundary files page. The full set of geography variables for all MICS samples and countries can be found at IPUMS MICS Geography.

Comparability

The geographic units identified in the 2011 and 2017 surveys have different spatial footprints. GEO1_LA units have been harmonized to provide spatially consistent boundaries across survey years. The full original detail is retained in GEO1_LA2011, which provides the codes and boundaries for 2011, and GEO1_LA2017, which provides the codes and boundaries for 2017. GEO1_LA2006 provides less geographic detail and is not incorporated into GEO1_LA.

In 2013, Xaysomboune province was recreated, with the same boundaries corresponding to parts of Vientiane and Xiangkhoang.

Universe

Availability

• Laos: 2011, 2017