COUNTRY PROFILE / LAO
Laos
Lao PDR / LAO / LA
For Laos, population is 7,873,046 people (2025, #102/215) and area is 236,800 km² (2023, #83/215). This profile covers 80 comparable rankings and 9 thematic maps. Largest religious group: Buddhism (2015 / 64.7%); Main language: Lao.
01 / BASIC INFORMATION
Laos in numbers.
02 / JAPAN COMPARISON & TRENDS
Compare Laos with Japan and track change.
JAPAN REFERENCE
In the recorded data for Laos, population is about 6.4% of Japan's value and area is about 62.7% of Japan's value. Reference years can differ, so check the year shown for each value.
| Indicator | Laos | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,873,046 people2025 / About 6.4% of Japan's value | 123,366,734 people2025 |
| Area | 236,800 km²2023 / About 62.7% of Japan's value | 377,969 km²2023 |
| Population density | 33.2 people/km²Population 2025 · area 2023 / About 10.2% of Japan's value | 326.4 people/km²Population 2025 · area 2023 |
| Life expectancy | 69.23 years2024 / 14.81 years shorter than Japan | 84.04 years2024 |
| GDP per capita | US$ 2,3252025 / About 6.5% of Japan's value | US$ 35,9512025 |
RECORDED CHANGE OVER TIME
Population
2000 → 2025Recorded population moved from 5,431,212 people in 2000 to 7,873,046 people in 2025, an increase of about 45%.Life expectancy
2000 → 2024Recorded life expectancy moved from 58.32 years in 2000 to 69.23 years in 2024, an increase of 10.91 years.GDP per capita
2000 → 2025Recorded GDP per capita moved from US$ 319 in 2000 to US$ 2,325 in 2025, an increase of about 629.3%. The values are in current US dollars, so exchange rates and inflation affect the comparison.03 / ALL RANKINGS
75 additional rankings for Laos.
75 rankings in 9 categories
Essentials5 rankings
People & society11 rankings
Health10 rankings
Economy & work20 rankings
Education & science4 rankings
Food & agriculture5 rankings
Environment & digital13 rankings
Safety & politics5 rankings
04 / CULTURE & INDUSTRY