Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Laos fits inside Myanmar 2.9 times
Laos: 236,800 km² (2024) · Myanmar: 676,578 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Laos: 0 km (2026 edition) · Myanmar: 1,930 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Myanmar’s highest peak towers 3,053 m above Laos’
Laos: 2,817 m (2026 edition) · Myanmar: 5,870 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 20% of Myanmar, versus 9.5% of Laos
Laos: 9.5% (2024) · Myanmar: 19.9% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Myanmar has 7 times as many people as Laos
Laos: 7.87 million (2025) · Myanmar: 54.9 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Myanmar is 2.5 times as densely populated as Laos
Laos: 34 per km² (2025) · Myanmar: 84 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Myanmar are 3.9 cm taller than in Laos
Laos: 162.8 cm (2019) · Myanmar: 166.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Myanmar are 1.6 cm taller than in Laos
Laos: 153.1 cm (2019) · Myanmar: 154.7 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Myanmar is 5.3 years older than in Laos
Laos: 24.3 years (2023) · Myanmar: 29.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Laos have 0.3 more children on average than in Myanmar
Laos: 2.4 children per woman (2024) · Myanmar: 2.1 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
7.5% of people in Myanmar are 65 or older, versus 4.8% in Laos
Laos: 4.8% (2025) · Myanmar: 7.5% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Laos: no data · Myanmar: 0 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Myanmar has produced 0.2 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Laos none
Laos: 0 (2026) · Myanmar: 0.2 (2026)
How many official languages?
Laos and Myanmar are practically level
Laos: 1 (2026) · Myanmar: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Myanmar’s economy is 4.5 times the size of Laos’
Laos: $18.3 billion (2025) · Myanmar: $81.7 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Laos produces 73% more per person than Myanmar
Laos: Int$10,383 (2025) · Myanmar: Int$6,012 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Laos than in Myanmar (Gini 4 points higher)
Laos: 34.7 (2024) · Myanmar: 30.7 (2017)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
10% of people in Myanmar live on less than $3 a day, versus 7.1% in Laos
Laos: 7.1% (2024) · Myanmar: 10.3% (2017)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 3.0% in Myanmar, versus 1.2% in Laos
Laos: 1.2% (2025) · Myanmar: 3% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Laos: no data · Myanmar: 6.6% (2024)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Laos’ central government collects 12% of GDP in tax, Myanmar’s 6.0%
Laos: 12.1% (2022) · Myanmar: 6% (2019)
How expensive is it?
Myanmar’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Laos’
Laos: 22% (2025) · Myanmar: 25% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Myanmar spends 2 times as much on health per person as Laos
Laos: $27 (2023) · Myanmar: $56 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Laos live 2.1 years longer than in Myanmar
Laos: 69.2 years (2024) · Myanmar: 67.1 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Myanmar is 21% more likely to die before turning one than in Laos
Laos: 27.2 per 1,000 (2024) · Myanmar: 32.8 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Myanmar has 2.3 times as many doctors per person as Laos
Laos: 0.3 per 1,000 (2022) · Myanmar: 0.8 per 1,000 (2019)
How many hospital beds are there?
Laos has 60% more hospital beds per person than Myanmar
Laos: 1.7 per 1,000 (2023) · Myanmar: 1.1 per 1,000 (2020)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Laos is 7% higher than in Myanmar
Laos: 4.4 per 100k (2023) · Myanmar: 4.1 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
9.0% of adults in Laos are obese, versus 8.3% in Myanmar
Laos: 9% (2024) · Myanmar: 8.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
43% of adults in Myanmar smoke, versus 25% in Laos
Laos: 25.4% (2024) · Myanmar: 43.4% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Laos rate their lives 1.23 points higher than in Myanmar
Laos: 5.52 (2025) · Myanmar: 4.29 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Laos drink 3.1 times as much alcohol as in Myanmar
Laos: 5.9 litres (2023) · Myanmar: 1.9 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Laos has 49% more meat per person than Myanmar
Laos: 31.1 kg (2023) · Myanmar: 20.9 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Laos has 379 kcal more food per person per day than Myanmar
Laos: 3,188 kcal (2023) · Myanmar: 2,809 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Laos: no data · Myanmar: 2,197 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Myanmar went to school 0.32 years longer than in Laos
Laos: 6.1 years (2023) · Myanmar: 6.4 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Laos welcomed 41 times as many tourists per resident as Myanmar (2019)
Laos: 0.61 (2019) · Myanmar: 0.01 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
Laos has 2 more World Heritage sites than Myanmar (4 against 2)
Laos: 4 (2026) · Myanmar: 2 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Laos and Myanmar are practically level
Laos: 0 (2026 edition) · Myanmar: 0 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
66% of people in Laos are online, versus 45% in Myanmar
Laos: 66% (2024) · Myanmar: 45% (2020)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Laos is 67% faster than in Myanmar
Laos: 75 Mbps (2026) · Myanmar: 45 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
97% of people in Laos have electricity, versus 80% in Myanmar
Laos: 96.5% (2024) · Myanmar: 80.4% (2024)
How many live in cities?
40% of people in Laos live in cities, versus 31% in Myanmar
Laos: 40% (2025) · Myanmar: 31% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Myanmar has 114 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Laos 65
Laos: 65 (2023) · Myanmar: 114 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Laos: 422 km (2023) · Myanmar: no data
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Laos fly 66% more passengers per resident than those from Myanmar
Laos: 0.11 (2023) · Myanmar: 0.06 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 57% of Laos, but only 42% of Myanmar
Laos: 56.6% (2024) · Myanmar: 42% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Laos emits 5.4 times as much CO₂ as someone in Myanmar
Laos: 3.1 t (2024) · Myanmar: 0.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
77% of Laos’ electricity is renewable, versus 48% in Myanmar
Laos: 76.7% (2024) · Myanmar: 47.9% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Myanmar carries 16% more fine dust than in Laos
Laos: 27 µg/m³ (2024) · Myanmar: 31.2 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Laos: no data · Myanmar: 2.6 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Myanmar are 24% deadlier than in Laos
Laos: 17.7 per 100k (2023) · Myanmar: 21.9 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Myanmar is on average 0.4 °C warmer than Laos
Laos: 23.7°C (2016–2025 avg) · Myanmar: 24.1°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Myanmar gets 15% more rain than Laos
Laos: 1,934 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Myanmar: 2,233 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Laos bigger than Myanmar?
Myanmar is larger. Laos fits inside Myanmar 2.9 times.
Which has more people, Laos or Myanmar?
Myanmar has 7 times as many people as Laos (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Laos or Myanmar?
People in Laos live 2.1 years longer than in Myanmar. Life expectancy at birth is 69.2 years in Laos and 67.1 in Myanmar.
Are people taller in Laos or Myanmar?
Men in Myanmar are 3.9 cm taller than in Laos (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
