Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Laos fits inside China 40 times.
China: 9,562,910 km² (2023) · Laos: 236,800 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · Laos: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 6,032 m above Laos’.
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · Laos: 2,817 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 179 times as many people as Laos.
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · Laos: 7.87 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
China is 4.4 times as densely populated as Laos.
China: 150 per km² (2025) · Laos: 34 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in China are 12.9 cm taller than in Laos.
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · Laos: 162.8 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in China are 10.4 cm taller than in Laos.
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · Laos: 153.1 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in China is 15 years older than in Laos.
China: 39.1 years (2023) · Laos: 24.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Laos have 1.4 more children on average than in China.
China: 1.01 children per woman (2024) · Laos: 2.4 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
15% of people in China are 65 or older, versus 4.8% in Laos.
China: 14.9% (2025) · Laos: 4.8% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
China has produced 0.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Laos 0.0.
China: 0.1 (2025) · Laos: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
China and Laos are practically level.
China: 1 (2026) · Laos: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 1,065 times the size of Laos’.
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · Laos: $18.3 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
China produces 2.8 times as much per person as Laos.
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · Laos: Int$10,383 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in China than in Laos (Gini 1.3 points higher).
China: 36 (2022) · Laos: 34.7 (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.6% in China, versus 1.2% in Laos.
China: 4.6% (2025) · Laos: 1.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
China: 1.7% (2024) · Laos: no data
How expensive is it?
China’s price level (US = 100) is 2.1× Laos’.
China: 47% (2025) · Laos: 22% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
China spends 28 times as much on health per person as Laos.
China: $763 (2023) · Laos: $27 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in China live 8.8 years longer than in Laos.
China: 78 years (2024) · Laos: 69.2 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Laos is 6.6 times as likely to die before turning one as in China.
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Laos: 27.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
China has 9.4 times as many doctors per person as Laos.
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Laos: 0.3 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
China and Laos are practically level.
China: 9.1% (2024) · Laos: 9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
25% of adults in Laos smoke, versus 23% in China.
China: 22.8% (2024) · Laos: 25.4% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in China rate their lives 0.56 points higher than in Laos.
China: 6.07 (2025) · Laos: 5.52 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Laos drink 60% more alcohol than in China.
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · Laos: 5.9 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
China has 2.4 times as much meat per person as Laos.
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · Laos: 31.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
China has 339 kcal more food per person per day than Laos.
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · Laos: 3,188 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · Laos: no data
How long do people go to school?
Adults in China went to school 2 years longer than in Laos.
China: 8 years (2023) · Laos: 6.1 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Laos welcomed 13 times as many tourists per resident as China (2019).
China: 0.05 (2019) · Laos: 0.61 (2019)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
92% of people in China are online, versus 66% in Laos.
China: 92% (2025) · Laos: 66% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in China have electricity, versus 97% in Laos.
China: 100% (2024) · Laos: 96.5% (2024)
How many live in cities?
66% of people in China live in cities, versus 40% in Laos.
China: 66% (2025) · Laos: 40% (2025)
How many phones per person?
China has 132 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Laos 65.
China: 132 (2024) · Laos: 65 (2023)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 260 times as long as Laos’.
China: 109,767 km (2021) · Laos: 422 km (2023)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from China fly 4.1 times as many passengers per resident as those from Laos.
China: 0.44 (2023) · Laos: 0.11 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 71% of Laos, but only 24% of China.
China: 24% (2023) · Laos: 71.5% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in China emits 2.8 times as much CO₂ as someone in Laos.
China: 8.7 t (2024) · Laos: 3.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
77% of Laos’ electricity is renewable, versus 37% in China.
China: 37% (2025) · Laos: 76.7% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in China carries 16% more fine dust than in Laos.
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Laos: 27 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · Laos: no data
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in China are 6% deadlier than in Laos.
China: 17.4 per 100k (2021) · Laos: 16.4 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Laos is on average 15.8 °C warmer than China.
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Laos: 23.7°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Laos gets 2.4 times as much rain as China.
China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Laos: 1,934 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is China bigger than Laos?
China is larger. Laos fits inside China 40 times.
Which has more people, China or Laos?
China has 179 times as many people as Laos (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or Laos?
People in China live 8.8 years longer than in Laos. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 69.2 in Laos.
Are people taller in China or Laos?
Men in China are 12.9 cm taller than in Laos (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
