A friction vacuum pump (1) with a stator (3) and a rotor (4) forming at least two pump stages (12, 13, 14) each with one gas inlet (23, 28), in addition to connecting means for the pump stages, whereby said means are fitted with connecting openings (36, 37) and are used to connect the gas inlets of the (23, 28) of the pump stages to devices that are to be emptied. In order to avoid high losses in conductance, the connecting openings (36, 37) are located on a single plane which is to the side of and close to the pump stages (12, 13, 14), whereby the distance between the connecting openings (36, 37) and the axis (15) of the rotor is as short as possible.