Laos at its true size
Laos covers 236,800 km², number 82 of 194 countries by area. Home to 7,873,046 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
| Area | 236,800 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 7,873,046 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 33 per km² |
| Capital | Vientiane |
| Local time in Vientiane | |
| Time zone | UTC+7 IANA |
| Currency | Lao kip (LAK) Wikidata |
| Languages | Lao |
| Traffic | On the right |
| Region | South-Eastern Asia, Asia |
| Status | Independent state |
| Member of | ASEAN |
| Coast | Landlocked |
| Calling code | +856 |
| Codes | LA · LAO · 418 |
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Where Laos ranks
Among the independent states, in 41 rankings. Each links to its table.
People
- Population#103 of 1947.9 million people#32 of 48 in Asia
- Population density#146 of 19433 people per km²#42 of 48 in Asia
- Urban population#149 of 19240% urban#36 of 47 in Asia
- Fertility rate#77 of 1922.40 births per woman#17 of 47 in Asia
- Population growth#74 of 192+1.32% a year#16 of 47 in Asia
- Birth rate#64 of 19220.9 births per 1,000 people#9 of 47 in Asia
- Death rate#129 of 1926.2 deaths per 1,000 people#20 of 47 in Asia
- Children under 15#70 of 19229.8% under 15#12 of 47 in Asia
- People over 65#127 of 1924.8% aged 65 and over#33 of 47 in Asia
- Net migration#126 of 192−1.4 per 1,000 people#34 of 47 in Asia
- Refugees abroad#64 of 1900.82 refugees abroad per 1,000 people#14 of 47 in Asia
Health & education
- Life expectancy#136 of 19269.2 years#43 of 47 in Asia
- Infant mortality#53 of 19127.2 infant deaths per 1,000 live births#7 of 47 in Asia
- Doctors#135 of 1780.33 doctors per 1,000 people#43 of 46 in Asia
- University enrolment#122 of 14514.9% gross enrolment#39 of 42 in Asia
- Human Development Index#144 of 190an index of 0.617#40 of 46 in Asia
Economy
- GNI per capita#147 of 185$2,150 a person#38 of 45 in Asia
- Internet users#128 of 18466% online#35 of 43 in Asia
- GDP per capita (PPP)#125 of 184$10,383 a person#35 of 45 in Asia
- GDP growth#55 of 187+4.5% a year#20 of 45 in Asia
- Inflation#31 of 176+7.7% a year#9 of 42 in Asia
- Unemployment#171 of 1781.2% of the labour force#43 of 47 in Asia
- Extreme poverty#49 of 1497.1% under $3.00 a day#4 of 33 in Asia
- Income inequality (Gini)#73 of 149a Gini index of 34.7#12 of 33 in Asia
- Jobs in agriculture#6 of 17868.6% of jobs#1 of 47 in Asia
- Jobs in industry#169 of 1787.4% of jobs#46 of 47 in Asia
- Jobs in services#171 of 17824.0% of jobs#46 of 47 in Asia
- Foreign investment#23 of 1847.7% of GDP#8 of 44 in Asia
- Mobile subscriptions#167 of 19165 subscriptions per 100 people#44 of 47 in Asia
Energy & environment
- CO₂ per person#79 of 1853.35 tonnes a person#27 of 47 in Asia
- Forest area#36 of 19257% forest#8 of 47 in Asia
- Renewable energy#50 of 19049.2% renewable#5 of 47 in Asia
- Access to electricity#124 of 19296.5% with electricity#39 of 47 in Asia
- Air pollution (PM2.5)#61 of 19126.0 µg/m³#27 of 47 in Asia
- Protected land#88 of 19118.8% of the land protected#17 of 47 in Asia
- Arable land#127 of 1905.3% of the land arable#32 of 47 in Asia
- Water stress#120 of 1764.8% of its available fresh water#41 of 47 in Asia
- Precipitation#38 of 1801,834 mm a year#11 of 47 in Asia
Governance & safety
Countries of a similar size
Every country within 25% of Laos’s area, lit up on the map →
- Romania0.99×Laos and Romania are almost exactly the same size.
- Ghana0.99×Laos and Ghana are almost exactly the same size.
- Uganda0.98×Laos and Uganda are almost exactly the same size.
- United Kingdom0.98×Laos and United Kingdom are almost exactly the same size.
- Guinea0.96×Laos is 4% smaller than Guinea.
- Ecuador0.92×Laos is 8% smaller than Ecuador.
How many times does Laos fit into…
- Russia: about 72 times
- Canada: about 42 times
- United States: about 41 times
The land itself
Rivers, summits and lakes Laos shares with the rest of the world. Turn on “Rivers & lakes” and “Physical names” in the atlas to see them on the map.
Rivers
- Mekong4,350 km
Summits
- Phou Bia2,819 m
- Phu Soi Dao2,120 m
Lakes
- Nam Ngum Reservoir526 km²
Rivers are listed by the published length of their whole course, not the part inside Laos. Figures from Wikidata, features from Natural Earth.
Neighbours
Questions about Laos
- How big is Laos?
- Laos covers 236,800 km², which makes it number 82 of 194 countries by area. About 7,873,046 people live there (2025), 33 per km².
- Is Laos bigger than Romania?
- Laos and Romania are almost exactly the same size. Laos: 236,800 km²; Romania: 238,397 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort Laos?
- Laos lies close to the equator, so Mercator draws it at nearly its true size. It is the countries far from the equator that Mercator inflates.
- Which countries border Laos?
- Laos shares a land border with China, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia.