Thailand vs Laos: how the neighbours compare
| Indicator | Thailand | Laos | Ranks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | |||
| Population | 71.6m2025 | 7.9m2025 | 20 · 102 |
| Area | 513,115 km²2024 | 236,800 km²2024 | 52 · 83 |
| Density | 140.32024 | 33.72024 | 83 · 167 |
| Urban share | 62.8%2025 | 40.3%2025 | 117 · 172 |
| Fertility | 1.202024 | 2.402024 | 199 · 81 |
| Aged 65+ | 16.0%2025 | 4.8%2025 | 62 · 152 |
| Economy | |||
| GDP | $577bn2025 | $18.3bn2025 | 29 · 138 |
| GDP per capita | $8,0572025 | $2,3252025 | 113 · 173 |
| GDP per capita, PPP | $26,2502025 | $10,3832025 | 87 · 138 |
| GDP growth | 2.4%2025 | 4.5%2025 | 134 · 62 |
| Agriculture share | 8.7%2025 | 16.6%2025 | 78 · 45 |
| Industry share | 31.1%2025 | 29.2%2025 | 50 · 58 |
| Services share | 60.2%2025 | 43.6%2025 | 83 · 174 |
| Prices & public finance | |||
| Inflation | -0.1%2025 | 7.7%2025 | 169 · 32 |
| Tax revenue | 15.2%2024 | 12.1%2022 | 83 · 108 |
| Military spending | 1.04%2025 | — | 113 · — |
| Trade & investment | |||
| Exports | 71.1%2025 | — | 27 · — |
| FDI inflows | 3.2%2025 | 7.7%2025 | 68 · 26 |
| Labour | |||
| Unemployment | 0.8%2025 | 1.2%2025 | 184 · 180 |
| Aid, poverty & equality | |||
| Women in parliament | 19.6%2025 | 22.0%2025 | 127 · 112 |
| Education | |||
| Tertiary enrolment | 49.1%2025 | 14.9%2023 | 83 · 142 |
| Education spending | 2.5%2023 | 1.2%2023 | 157 · 178 |
| Health | |||
| Life expectancy | 76.6 yrs2024 | 69.2 yrs2024 | 90 · 159 |
| Infant mortality | 7.72024 | 27.22024 | 131 · 53 |
| Health spending | 4.5%2023 | 1.3%2023 | 137 · 193 |
| Physicians | 0.542021 | 0.332022 | 128 · 137 |
| Digital & energy access | |||
| Internet users | 90.9%2024 | 65.6%2024 | 52 · 132 |
| Fixed broadband | 14.92024 | 2.72023 | 102 · 154 |
| Electricity access | 100.0%2024 | 96.5%2024 | 105 · 147 |
| Environment | |||
| CO₂ per person | 3.96 t2024 | 3.35 t2024 | 73 · 89 |
| Renewable energy | 19.0%2021 | 49.2%2022 | 111 · 50 |
| Forest cover | 38.7%2024 | 56.6%2024 | 84 · 41 |
Higher value in each row is highlighted; it is not always the better one (think inflation or emissions). Ranks are world positions.
GDP per capita
ThailandLaos
Life expectancy
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Population
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Internet users
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Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
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