Laos
Quick notes before you compare the numbers.
Identity
Formal name: Lao People's Democratic Republic.
CIA 2026
Identity
Name origin: name means "Land of the Lao [people].
CIA 2026
Matchup file
Laos vs Thailand
115 shared metrics.
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Thailand leads by 39 metrics. Use the same instinct in a quick real-data brawl.
Country briefing
What matters for both sides
Short real-world notes so the comparison reads like more than a stat strip.
Thailand
Quick notes before you compare the numbers.
Identity
Formal name: Kingdom of Thailand.
CIA 2026
Identity
Name origin: the name means "Land of the Thai," referring to the local population.
CIA 2026
Analysis
Thailand leads in 77 of 115 shared metrics, while Laos leads in 38.
Laos's Capital Elevation is 86.0x that of Thailand (174 m vs 2.0 m).
Laos's Inflation Rate is 15.5x that of Thailand (23.1% vs 1.4%).
Laos's Firms Hit by Power Outages is 3.8x that of Thailand (41.46% of firms vs 8.6% of firms).
Laos's Infant Mortality is 3.4x that of Thailand (35.2 per 1k births vs 8.0 per 1k births).
Laos's Child Mortality is 3.2x that of Thailand (39 per 1k births vs 9.2 per 1k births).
Key Comparisons
Capital ElevationLaos leads
Laos
174 m
Thailand
2.0 m
Inflation RateLaos leads
Laos
23.1%
Thailand
1.4%
Firms Hit by Power OutagesLaos leads
Laos
41.46% of firms
Thailand
8.6% of firms
Infant MortalityLaos leads
Laos
35.2 per 1k births
Thailand
8.0 per 1k births
Child MortalityLaos leads
Laos
39 per 1k births
Thailand
9.2 per 1k births
Current Account Balance (% of GDP)Laos leads
Laos
11.4% of GDP
Thailand
3.1% of GDP
All Metrics
Capital Elevation
LaosLaos
174 m
Thailand
2.0 m
8600% higher
Inflation Rate
LaosLaos
23.1%
Thailand
1.4%
1550% higher
Firms Hit by Power Outages
LaosLaos
41.46% of firms
Thailand
8.6% of firms
382% higher
Infant Mortality
LaosLaos
35.2 per 1k births
Thailand
8.0 per 1k births
340% higher
Child Mortality
LaosLaos
39 per 1k births
Thailand
9.2 per 1k births
324% higher
Current Account Balance (% of GDP)
LaosLaos
11.4% of GDP
Thailand
3.1% of GDP
268% higher
Teen Birth Rate
LaosLaos
81.65 per 1k
Thailand
26.14 per 1k
212% higher
Firms Asked for Bribes
LaosLaos
30.6% of firms
Thailand
9.9% of firms
211% higher
Renewable Energy (%)
LaosLaos
49.2%
Thailand
19%
159% higher
Minimum Paid Vacation Days
LaosLaos
15 days/yr
Thailand
6.0 days/yr
150% higher
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
LaosLaos
6.0% of GDP
Thailand
2.7% of GDP
120% higher
Beer Consumption
LaosLaos
3.7 L/person/yr
Thailand
1.8 L/person/yr
109% higher
Youth Population (%)
LaosLaos
30.2%
Thailand
14.75%
105% higher
Merchant Fleet Size
ThailandLaos
1.0
Thailand
884
100% lower
Scientific Publications
ThailandLaos
83.93
Thailand
18.5K
100% lower
Tourism Revenue
ThailandLaos
$227,000,000
Thailand
$15,360,000,000
99% lower
Air Passengers
ThailandLaos
842.3K
Thailand
51.92M
98% lower
Solar Electricity Share
ThailandLaos
0.17%
Thailand
5.3%
97% lower
GDP (Nominal)
ThailandLaos
$16,502,933,121.34
Thailand
$526,517,658,841.68
97% lower
Birth Rate
LaosLaos
19.22 per 1k
Thailand
9.8 per 1k
96% higher
Freedom of Expression Index
ThailandLaos
0.03
Thailand
0.59
95% lower
Irrigated Land
ThailandLaos
4.4K km²
Thailand
64.2K km²
93% lower
EV Chargers per 100,000 People
ThailandLaos
0.03 per 100k people
Thailand
0.33 per 100k people
92% lower
Total CO2 Emissions
ThailandLaos
26.06 Mt CO2e
Thailand
283.81 Mt CO2e
91% lower
Milk Consumption per Person
ThailandLaos
2.9 kg/person/yr
Thailand
29.35 kg/person/yr
90% lower
Railway Length
ThailandLaos
422 km
Thailand
4.1K km
90% lower
Population
ThailandLaos
7.95M
Thailand
70.03M
89% lower
Health Spending Per Capita
ThailandLaos
$41.35
Thailand
$369.98
89% lower
Water Withdrawal
ThailandLaos
7.3 B m³
Thailand
57.31 B m³
87% lower
Credit Card Ownership
ThailandLaos
1.1% of adults
Thailand
8.0% of adults
86% lower
Forest Coverage (%)
LaosLaos
71.46%
Thailand
38.69%
85% higher
Water Stress (%)
ThailandLaos
3.9%
Thailand
25.53%
85% lower
Broadband Access (%)
ThailandLaos
2.7 per 100 people
Thailand
16 per 100 people
83% lower
Military Spending
ThailandLaos
0.19% of GDP
Thailand
1.1% of GDP
82% lower
Airports
ThailandLaos
20
Thailand
106
81% lower
Agricultural Land (%)
ThailandLaos
9.9%
Thailand
43.8%
77% lower
Electric Generating Capacity
ThailandLaos
12.74M kW
Thailand
55.97M kW
77% lower
Population Density
ThailandLaos
33.21 /km²
Thailand
140.35 /km²
76% lower
Unemployment Rate
LaosLaos
1.2%
Thailand
0.69%
76% higher
High-Tech Exports (%)
ThailandLaos
7.4%
Thailand
28.31%
74% lower
Electricity Generation
ThailandLaos
52.3 TWh
Thailand
199.55 TWh
74% lower
Armed Forces Personnel
ThailandLaos
129.0K
Thailand
455.0K
72% lower
GNI Per Capita
ThailandLaos
$2,000
Thailand
$7,100
72% lower
Suicide Rate
ThailandLaos
4.6 per 100k
Thailand
16.59 per 100k
72% lower
Mobile Money Accounts
ThailandLaos
11.84% of adults
Thailand
41.68% of adults
72% lower
ATMs per 100,000 Adults
ThailandLaos
28.67 per 100k
Thailand
97.9 per 100k
71% lower
Elderly Population (%)
ThailandLaos
4.7%
Thailand
15.36%
70% lower
Electoral Democracy Index
ThailandLaos
0.14
Thailand
0.42
68% lower
Digital Payments Used
ThailandLaos
26.53% of adults
Thailand
82.75% of adults
68% lower
University Enrollment Rate
ThailandLaos
14.88%
Thailand
44.98%
67% lower
Liberal Democracy Index
ThailandLaos
0.11
Thailand
0.31
65% lower
GDP Growth Rate
LaosLaos
4.1%
Thailand
2.5%
62% higher
Health Spending (% GDP)
ThailandLaos
2.0% of GDP
Thailand
5.4% of GDP
62% lower
Mobile Subscriptions (%)
ThailandLaos
65 per 100 people
Thailand
161 per 100 people
60% lower
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
ThailandLaos
$9,775.83
Thailand
$24,712.07
60% lower
Electricity Use (Per Capita)
ThailandLaos
1.3K kWh/person
Thailand
3.0K kWh/person
57% lower
Electricity Carbon Intensity
ThailandLaos
232.08 gCO2/kWh
Thailand
545.74 gCO2/kWh
57% lower
Energy Use (Per Capita)
ThailandLaos
815.09 kg oil eq/person
Thailand
1.9K kg oil eq/person
56% lower
Land Area
ThailandLaos
230.8K km²
Thailand
510.9K km²
55% lower
Education Spending (% GDP)
ThailandLaos
1.2% of GDP
Thailand
2.5% of GDP
51% lower
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
ThailandLaos
4.0 sites
Thailand
8.0 sites
50% lower
Firms Making Informal Payments
LaosLaos
26.44% of firms
Thailand
17.57% of firms
50% higher
Vehicles per 1,000 People
ThailandLaos
267.78 per 1k people
Thailand
526.93 per 1k people
49% lower
Obesity Rate
ThailandLaos
7.8%
Thailand
14.51%
47% lower
Youth Unemployment Rate
ThailandLaos
2.4% of youth labor force
Thailand
4.5% of youth labor force
47% lower
Tobacco Use Prevalence
LaosLaos
25.4% of adults
Thailand
17.4% of adults
46% higher
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
ThailandLaos
1.3 per 1k
Thailand
2.3 per 1k
43% lower
Informal Employment Share
LaosLaos
90.49% of employed people
Thailand
63.17% of employed people
43% higher
Smoking Rate
LaosLaos
27.2%
Thailand
19.2%
42% higher
Fertility Rate
LaosLaos
2.2 children/woman
Thailand
1.6 children/woman
41% higher
Spirits Consumption
ThailandLaos
3.0 L/person/yr
Thailand
4.9 L/person/yr
40% lower
Median Age
ThailandLaos
24.3 years
Thailand
39.7 years
39% lower
Doctors (per 1,000)
ThailandLaos
0.33 per 1k
Thailand
0.54 per 1k
39% lower
Insufficient Physical Activity
ThailandLaos
15.58% of adults
Thailand
24.64% of adults
37% lower
Urban Population (%)
ThailandLaos
39.56%
Thailand
61.87%
36% lower
Alcohol Consumption
LaosLaos
10.82 L/adult/yr
Thailand
8.0 L/adult/yr
35% higher
Road Traffic Death Rate
ThailandLaos
16.4 per 100k
Thailand
25.4 per 100k
35% lower
Coal Electricity Share
LaosLaos
23.28%
Thailand
17.83%
31% higher
Internet Users (%)
ThailandLaos
64%
Thailand
90.87%
30% lower
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
ThailandLaos
22.32 µg/m³
Thailand
31.01 µg/m³
28% lower
Women's Political Empowerment
ThailandLaos
0.51
Thailand
0.69
26% lower
Women in Senior Management
ThailandLaos
25.68% of managers
Thailand
34.91% of managers
26% lower
Death Rate
ThailandLaos
6.1 per 1k
Thailand
8.1 per 1k
25% lower
Border Neighbors
LaosLaos
5.0
Thailand
4.0
25% higher
Dependency Ratio
LaosLaos
53.53% of working-age pop.
Thailand
43.09% of working-age pop.
24% higher
Human Development Index
ThailandLaos
0.62
Thailand
0.80
23% lower
Firms with Female Top Manager
ThailandLaos
50.69% of firms
Thailand
64.84% of firms
22% lower
Tax Revenue (% GDP)
ThailandLaos
12.11% of GDP
Thailand
15.26% of GDP
21% lower
Political Corruption Index
LaosLaos
0.77
Thailand
0.64
20% higher
Forest Area
ThailandLaos
164.9K km²
Thailand
197.7K km²
17% lower
Adult Literacy Rate
ThailandLaos
75.64%
Thailand
91.1%
17% lower
Seafood Consumption per Person
ThailandLaos
24.01 kg/person/yr
Thailand
28.48 kg/person/yr
16% lower
CO2 Per Capita
ThailandLaos
3.1 t/person/yr
Thailand
3.7 t/person/yr
16% lower
Women in Parliament (%)
LaosLaos
21.95%
Thailand
19.4%
13% higher
Life Evaluation Score
ThailandLaos
5.5 pts
Thailand
6.3 pts
12% lower
Meat Consumption per Person
LaosLaos
30.41 kg/person/yr
Thailand
27.37 kg/person/yr
11% higher
Sanitation Access (%)
ThailandLaos
88.73%
Thailand
99.35%
11% lower
Life Expectancy
ThailandLaos
69.0 years
Thailand
76.4 years
10% lower
Highest Elevation
LaosLaos
2.8K m
Thailand
2.6K m
10% higher
Hypertension Prevalence
LaosLaos
28.4% of adults
Thailand
26% of adults
9% higher
Land Border Length
ThailandLaos
5.3K km
Thailand
5.7K km
7% lower
Government Debt (% GDP)
ThailandLaos
58.4% of GDP
Thailand
62.2% of GDP
6% lower
Can Raise Emergency Money
LaosLaos
93.29% of adults
Thailand
88.56% of adults
5% higher
Electricity Access (%)
ThailandLaos
96.5%
Thailand
100%
4% lower
Corruption Perceptions Index
LaosLaos
34 pts
Thailand
33 pts
3% higher
Average Weekly Work Hours
ThailandLaos
41.53 hrs/week
Thailand
42.53 hrs/week
2% lower
Protected Land (%)
LaosLaos
18.8%
Thailand
18.4%
2% higher
Food Waste per Person
ThailandLaos
174.08 kg/person/yr
Thailand
176.25 kg/person/yr
1% lower
Time Zones Count
LaosLaos
2.0 time zones
Thailand
2.0 time zones
equal
Coastline Length
ThailandLaos
0 km
Thailand
3.2K km
ranked lower
Wind Electricity Share
ThailandLaos
0%
Thailand
1.8%
ranked lower
Nobel Laureates Born per Million People
LaosLaos
0 per 1M people
Thailand
0 per 1M people
ranked higher
Lowest Elevation
LaosLaos
70 m
Thailand
0 m
ranked higher
Official Languages Count
LaosLaos
1.0
Thailand
1.0
equal
McDonald's Outlets per Million People
ThailandLaos
0 per 1M people
Thailand
2.4 per 1M people
ranked lower
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