Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Laos is 31% bigger than Cambodia.
Cambodia: 181,040 km² (2023) · Laos: 236,800 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Cambodia: 443 km (2026 edition) · Laos: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Laos’ highest peak towers 1,007 m above Cambodia’s.
Cambodia: 1,810 m (2026 edition) · Laos: 2,817 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Cambodia has 2.3 times as many people as Laos.
Cambodia: 17.8 million (2025) · Laos: 7.87 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Cambodia is 3 times as densely populated as Laos.
Cambodia: 101 per km² (2025) · Laos: 34 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Cambodia are 2.6 cm taller than in Laos.
Cambodia: 165.4 cm (2019) · Laos: 162.8 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Cambodia are 1.7 cm taller than in Laos.
Cambodia: 154.8 cm (2019) · Laos: 153.1 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Cambodia is 1.6 years older than in Laos.
Cambodia: 25.8 years (2023) · Laos: 24.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Cambodia have 0.2 more children on average than in Laos.
Cambodia: 2.55 children per woman (2024) · Laos: 2.4 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
6.4% of people in Cambodia are 65 or older, versus 4.8% in Laos.
Cambodia: 6.4% (2025) · Laos: 4.8% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Cambodia and Laos are practically level.
Cambodia: 0 (2025) · Laos: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Cambodia and Laos are practically level.
Cambodia: 1 (2026) · Laos: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Cambodia’s economy is 2.8 times the size of Laos’.
Cambodia: $51.3 billion (2025) · Laos: $18.3 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Laos produces 22% more per person than Cambodia.
Cambodia: Int$8,543 (2025) · Laos: Int$10,383 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Cambodia: no data · Laos: 34.7 (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 1.2% in Laos, versus 0.3% in Cambodia.
Cambodia: 0.3% (2025) · Laos: 1.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Cambodia: 1.5% (2024) · Laos: no data
How expensive is it?
Cambodia’s price level (US = 100) is 1.5× Laos’.
Cambodia: 34% (2025) · Laos: 22% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Cambodia spends 4.2 times as much on health per person as Laos.
Cambodia: $115 (2023) · Laos: $27 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Cambodia live 1.6 years longer than in Laos.
Cambodia: 70.8 years (2024) · Laos: 69.2 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Laos is 66% more likely to die before turning one than in Cambodia.
Cambodia: 16.4 per 1,000 (2024) · Laos: 27.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Laos has 57% more doctors per person than Cambodia.
Cambodia: 0.2 per 1,000 (2019) · Laos: 0.3 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
9.0% of adults in Laos are obese, versus 4.9% in Cambodia.
Cambodia: 4.9% (2024) · Laos: 9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
25% of adults in Laos smoke, versus 19% in Cambodia.
Cambodia: 18.6% (2024) · Laos: 25.4% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Laos rate their lives 1.05 points higher than in Cambodia.
Cambodia: 4.46 (2025) · Laos: 5.52 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Laos drink 42% more alcohol than in Cambodia.
Cambodia: 4.2 litres (2023) · Laos: 5.9 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Laos has 93% more meat per person than Cambodia.
Cambodia: 16.1 kg (2023) · Laos: 31.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Laos has 545 kcal more food per person per day than Cambodia.
Cambodia: 2,643 kcal (2023) · Laos: 3,188 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Cambodia: 2,389 hours (2023) · Laos: no data
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Laos went to school 0.86 years longer than in Cambodia.
Cambodia: 5.2 years (2023) · Laos: 6.1 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Laos welcomed 4.6 times as many tourists per resident as Cambodia (2019).
Cambodia: 0.13 (2022) · Laos: 0.61 (2019)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
68% of people in Cambodia are online, versus 66% in Laos.
Cambodia: 68% (2024) · Laos: 66% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
99% of people in Cambodia have electricity, versus 97% in Laos.
Cambodia: 99.2% (2024) · Laos: 96.5% (2024)
How many live in cities?
41% of people in Cambodia live in cities, versus 40% in Laos.
Cambodia: 41% (2025) · Laos: 40% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Cambodia has 116 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Laos 65.
Cambodia: 116 (2024) · Laos: 65 (2023)
How much railway is there?
Cambodia’s railway network is 52% longer than Laos’.
Cambodia: 642 km (2014) · Laos: 422 km (2023)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Laos fly 2.8 times as many passengers per resident as those from Cambodia.
Cambodia: 0.04 (2023) · Laos: 0.11 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 71% of Laos, but only 43% of Cambodia.
Cambodia: 43.1% (2023) · Laos: 71.5% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Laos emits 2.5 times as much CO₂ as someone in Cambodia.
Cambodia: 1.2 t (2024) · Laos: 3.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
77% of Laos’ electricity is renewable, versus 41% in Cambodia.
Cambodia: 40.9% (2025) · Laos: 76.7% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Laos carries 42% more fine dust than in Cambodia.
Cambodia: 19 µg/m³ (2024) · Laos: 27 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Cambodia are 15% deadlier than in Laos.
Cambodia: 18.8 per 100k (2021) · Laos: 16.4 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Cambodia is on average 4.1 °C warmer than Laos.
Cambodia: 27.7°C (2016–2025 avg) · Laos: 23.7°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Laos gets 5% more rain than Cambodia.
Cambodia: 1,849 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Laos: 1,934 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Cambodia bigger than Laos?
Laos is larger. Laos is 31% bigger than Cambodia.
Which has more people, Cambodia or Laos?
Cambodia has 2.3 times as many people as Laos (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Cambodia or Laos?
People in Cambodia live 1.6 years longer than in Laos. Life expectancy at birth is 70.8 years in Cambodia and 69.2 in Laos.
Are people taller in Cambodia or Laos?
Men in Cambodia are 2.6 cm taller than in Laos (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
