Ethnic minorities
In its combined 16th to 18th periodic reports submitted to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) on 18 February 2011, the LPDR stated that there are “four larger ethno-linguistic groups comprising 49 ethnic groups.
•Religious minorities
The government has required several religious groups, apparently with the exception of Buddhists and Catholics, to report membership information periodically to the Religious Affairs Department of the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC).