Laos vs Russia
Russia is 72.1 times larger than Laos. Laos would fit into Russia about 72 times.
LaosRussiaLaos moved onto Russia · Equal-area projection
Remote islands and overseas parts not drawn; the figures include them
0.01×
Laos is 0.01× the area of Russia. Put the other way, Russia is 72.1× the size of Laos.
 Laos |  Russia | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | ||
| AreaRussia: 72.1× the area | 236,800 km²#82 of 194 | 17,075,400 km²#1 of 194 |
| Coastline | Landlocked | Has a coast |
| Land neighbours | 5 | 14 |
| People | ||
| PopulationRussia: 18.2× the population | 7,873,046#103 of 194 · 2025 | 143,513,328#9 of 194 · 2025 |
| DensityLaos: 3.96× the density | 33 / km²#146 of 194 | 8.4 / km²#183 of 194 |
| Urban populationRussia: 1.87× the urban share | 40%#149 of 192 · 2025 | 75%#57 of 192 · 2025 |
| Fertility rateLaos: 1.69× the births per woman | 2.40 per woman#77 of 192 · 2024 | 1.42 per woman#154 of 192 · 2024 |
| Population growthLaos: 1.43 points higher | +1.32%#74 of 192 · 2025 | −0.11%#163 of 192 · 2025 |
| Birth rateLaos: 2.49× the birth rate | 20.9 per 1,000#64 of 192 · 2024 | 8.4 per 1,000#163 of 192 · 2024 |
| Death rateRussia: 2.0× the death rate | 6.2 per 1,000#129 of 192 · 2024 | 12.4 per 1,000#15 of 192 · 2024 |
| Children under 15Laos: 12.8 points higher | 29.8%#70 of 192 · 2025 | 17.0%#142 of 192 · 2025 |
| People over 65Russia: 13.0 points higher | 4.8%#127 of 192 · 2025 | 17.8%#42 of 192 · 2025 |
| Net migrationLaos: 0.4 per 1,000 higher | −1.4 per 1,000#126 of 192 · 2025 | −1.8 per 1,000#137 of 192 · 2025 |
| Refugees abroadLaos: 1.19× the refugees for its size | 0.82 per 1,000#64 of 190 · 2025 | 0.69 per 1,000#68 of 190 · 2025 |
| Health & education | ||
| Life expectancyRussia: 4.2 years longer | 69.2 years#136 of 192 · 2024 | 73.4 years#101 of 192 · 2024 |
| Infant mortalityLaos: 6.63× the infant mortality | 27.2 per 1,000 births#53 of 191 · 2024 | 4.1 per 1,000 births#150 of 191 · 2024 |
| DoctorsRussia: 15.5× the doctors per person | 0.33 per 1,000#135 of 178 · 2022 | 5.11 per 1,000#8 of 178 · 2022 |
| University enrolmentRussia: 4.05× the university enrolment | 14.9%#122 of 145 · 2023 | 60.4%#56 of 145 · 2024 |
| Human Development IndexRussia: 0.215 higher | 0.617#144 of 190 · 2023 | 0.832#63 of 190 · 2023 |
| Economy | ||
| GNI per capitaRussia: 7.42× the income per person | $2,150#147 of 185 · 2025 | $15,960#63 of 185 · 2025 |
| GDPRussia: 140× the economy | $18.3B2025 | $2.56T2025 |
| Income group | Lower-middle income | High income |
| GDP per capita (PPP)Russia: 4.77× the output per person | $10,383#125 of 184 · 2025 | $49,568#45 of 184 · 2025 |
| GDP growthLaos: 3.5 points higher | +4.5%#55 of 187 · 2025 | +1.0%#156 of 187 · 2025 |
| InflationRussia: 1.0 points higher | +7.7%#31 of 176 · 2025 | +8.7%#25 of 176 · 2025 |
| UnemploymentRussia: 1.75× the unemployment | 1.2%#171 of 178 · 2025 | 2.1%#161 of 178 · 2025 |
| Extreme povertyLaos: 71.0× the share in extreme poverty | 7.1%#49 of 149 · 2024 | 0.1%#126 of 149 · 2023 |
| Income inequality (Gini)Laos: 1.7 higher | 34.7#73 of 149 · 2024 | 33.0#94 of 149 · 2023 |
| Jobs in agricultureLaos: 63.5 points higher | 68.6% of jobs#6 of 178 · 2025 | 5.1% of jobs#130 of 178 · 2025 |
| Jobs in industryRussia: 18.4 points higher | 7.4% of jobs#169 of 178 · 2025 | 25.8% of jobs#39 of 178 · 2025 |
| Jobs in servicesRussia: 45.1 points higher | 24.0% of jobs#171 of 178 · 2025 | 69.1% of jobs#56 of 178 · 2025 |
| Foreign investmentLaos: 7.3 points higher | 7.7% of GDP#23 of 184 · 2025 | 0.4% of GDP#150 of 184 · 2025 |
| Exports | — | 18.2% of GDP#138 of 168 · 2025 |
| Military spending | — | 7.5% of GDP#4 of 155 · 2025 |
| Internet usersRussia: 1.44× the share online | 66%#128 of 184 · 2024 | 94%#28 of 184 · 2024 |
| Mobile subscriptionsRussia: 2.86× the mobile subscriptions | 65 per 100#167 of 191 · 2023 | 186 per 100#5 of 191 · 2024 |
| Energy & environment | ||
| Forest areaLaos: 1.11× the forest share | 57% of land#36 of 192 · 2024 | 51% of land#47 of 192 · 2024 |
| CO₂ per personRussia: 4.17× the CO₂ per person | 3.35 t a year#79 of 185 · 2024 | 14.0 t a year#12 of 185 · 2024 |
| Renewable energyLaos: 45.7 points higher | 49.2%#50 of 190 · 2022 | 3.5%#162 of 190 · 2021 |
| Access to electricityRussia: 3.5 points higher | 96.5%#124 of 192 · 2024 | 100.0%#1 of 192 · 2024 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5)Laos: 2.24× the air pollution | 26.0 µg/m³#61 of 191 · 2023 | 11.6 µg/m³#141 of 191 · 2023 |
| Protected landLaos: 7.3 points higher | 18.8% of land#88 of 191 · 2025 | 11.5% of land#138 of 191 · 2025 |
| Arable landRussia: 2.1 points higher | 5.3% of land#127 of 190 · 2024 | 7.4% of land#113 of 190 · 2024 |
| Water stressLaos: 1.17× the water stress | 4.8%#120 of 176 · 2022 | 4.1%#129 of 176 · 2022 |
| PrecipitationLaos: 3.99× the rain and snow | 1,834 mm#38 of 180 · 2022 | 460 mm#145 of 180 · 2022 |
| Governance & safety | ||
| Political stabilityLaos: 1.49 higher | +0.55#65 of 193 · 2025 | −0.94#165 of 193 · 2025 |
| Control of corruptionRussia: 0.01 higher | −0.99#155 of 193 · 2025 | −0.98#153 of 193 · 2025 |
| Homicide rate | — | 6.8 per 100,000#38 of 146 · 2021 |
| State | ||
| Status | Independent state | Independent state |
| Government | One-party statecommunist party-led state | Semi-presidential republicsemi-presidential federation |
| Member of | ASEAN | G20, BRICS |
| Capital | Vientiane | Moscow |
| Currency | Lao kip (LAK) | Russian ruble (RUB) |
| Official languages | Lao | Russian, Ukrainian, Azerbaijani, Tatar, Bashkir, Chechen, Chuvash, Ossetian, Crimean Tatar, Yakut, Avar, Udmurt, Tuvan, Erzya, Adyghe, Komi, Buryat, Lezgian, Karachay-Balkar, Ingush, Mari, Moksha, Kabardian, Abaza, Kalmyk, Khakas, Lak, Kumyk, Nogai, Rutulian, Tabasaran, Tat, Aghul, Tsakhur, Dargwa, Southern Altai |
| Traffic drives | On the right | On the right |
| Time zone | UTC+7 | UTC+3 · UTC+2 to UTC+12, 11 time zones |
| Calling code | +856 | +7 |
| Region | South-Eastern Asia, Asia | Eastern Europe, Europe |
Area: Wikidata. Population, income, health, economy, environment and governance: World Bank. Human Development Index: UNDP. Government: CIA World Factbook. Ranks among the 194 independent states. All sources
Why the map you grew up with disagrees
On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Laos sits at about 18° N and is stretched to 1.11× its true area; Russia at 66° N is stretched to 6.06×. That difference is why Russia looks so much bigger than it is next to Laos. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Questions about this pair
- Is Laos bigger than Russia?
- No. Laos is 72.1 times smaller than Russia. Laos covers 236,800 km² and Russia covers 17,075,400 km².
- How many times does Laos fit into Russia?
- About 72 times: Russia has 72.1× the area of Laos.
- Why do Laos and Russia look different on Google Maps?
- Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Laos is drawn about 1.11× its true area there and Russia about 6.06×. That is why Russia looks so much bigger than it really is next to Laos. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
- Which has more people, Laos or Russia?
- Russia: 143,513,328 people against 7,873,046. Density: Laos 33 per km², Russia 8.4 per km².
- Which is richer, Laos or Russia?
- By gross national income per person, Russia: $15,960 against $2,150 (World Bank, Atlas method, 2025) — 7.42× as much.
- Where do people live longer, Laos or Russia?
- In Russia: life expectancy at birth is 73.4 years, against 69.2 — 4.2 years longer (World Bank, 2024).
- What kind of government do Laos and Russia have?
- By constitution, as the CIA World Factbook describes them — Laos: one-party state; Russia: semi-presidential republic.