Laos

Asia · South-Eastern Asia · capital Vientiane

About Laos

The capital of Laos is Vientiane. Vientiane is the seat of national government for Laos, a country in South-Eastern Asia.

Laos has a population of about 7.7 million people, the 103rd largest population in the world. Population figures come from World Bank estimates.

Laos covers 236,800 square kilometers (91,429 square miles), making Laos the 84th largest country in the world by area.

Laos borders 5 countries: Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

Life expectancy at birth in Laos is 69.0 years, the 158th highest of any country in the world.

Laos is in Asia, in the South-Eastern Asia region. Laos is one of 50 countries and territories in Asia.

Data updated April 1, 2026

Statistics and world rankings for Laos
Populationtotal people	7.7Mpeople	103rd
Land Areatotal km²	236.8Kkm²	84th
GDP per PersonUSD per person	$2.1K	172nd
Total GDPUSD · whole economy	$15.8B	139th
Life Expectancyyears, at birth	69.0years	158th
Urban Population% living in cities	38.8%	175th
Internet Users% of people online	63.6%	131st
Fertility Ratechildren per woman	2.42births/woman	81st
Tourist Arrivalsvisitors per year	886.4Karrivals/year	98th
Forest Cover% of land forested	71.6%	15th
Unemployment Rate% of labor force	1.2%	179th
Military Spending% of GDP	no data
Renewable Energy% of energy use	49.2%	50th
Inflation Rateannual CPI change	31.2%	12th
Beer Consumptionliters per year	no data
Coffee Consumptionkg per year	no data
Wine Consumptionliters per year	no data
Education Spending% of GDP	1.2%of GDP	180th
Health Spending% of GDP	1.3%of GDP	193rd
Arable Land% of land arable	5.3%	131st
Foreign Direct InvestmentUSD inflow/year	$1.8B	74th

ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 LA · alpha-3 LAO · South-Eastern Asia