Identity
- Official name
- Lao People's Democratic Republic
- Status
- Sovereign country profile
- Demonym
- Laotian
- Codes
- LA / LAO
Daily discoveryDid you know?
Laos covers 236,800 km².
LALao People's Democratic RepublicSovereign country profile
Laos
Laos is in South-Eastern Asia. This profile brings its status, flag, geography, people, languages, and latest available indicators into one clear visual story.
FlagLAO · 099 / 207
🇱🇦 The flag shown for Laos. Profile code: LA / LAO.
01Population8M
UN DESA · 2026 medium projection
02CapitalVientiane
Lao People's Democratic Republic
03CurrencyLAK
Lao kip (LAK)
04Life expectancy69.7 years
UN DESA · 2026 medium projection
National anthemPheng Xat LaoNational anthem audio · Wikidata / Wikimedia Commons · 0:50
Basic info
Expanded country facts
Core identity, people, geography, government, and practical reference data in one scan-friendly board.
People
- Population
- 8M · UN DESA · 2026 medium projection
- Median age
- 25.3 years · UN DESA 2026 medium projection
- Languages
- Lao
- Largest cities
- Vientiane
Place
- Region
- Asia
- Subregion
- South-Eastern Asia
- Area
- 236,800 km²
- Coordinates
- 18.0° N, 105.0° E
Practical
- Currency
- Lao kip (LAK)
- Calling code
- +856
- Time zones
- Profile-specific value pending
- Emergency
- Emergency numbers vary; check official guidance
Government
- Type
- Not published
- Head of state
- Thongloun Sisoulith
- Head of government
- Sonexay Siphandone
- Constitution
- Comparable date pending
Geography
- Connections
- This profile has land borders and no coastline.
- Climate
- Tropical to subtropical zones
- Highest point
- Phou Bia
- Driving side
- Right
Compare profiles
See Laos
in context.
Start with a neighbor or a similar regional profile, then adjust the matchup across the complete atlas.
At a glance
Meet
Laos.
Laos is a landlocked profile in South-Eastern Asia. Its status is sovereign country profile.
RegionSouth-Eastern Asia
DemonymLaotian
Area236,800 km²
Calling code+856
Economy
The latest available indicators.
Economic values use the latest non-empty World Bank year from 2019–2026, shown below each figure.
GDP$18.3B2025 · current USD
GDP per person$2.3K2025 · current USD
GDP growth4.5%2025 annual growth
A deeper profile
People, systems
& everyday life.
Comparable facts are shown with clear dates and neutral framing. Gaps stay visible instead of being filled with guesses.
How people live
Urban 40.3%Rural 59.7%
World Bank · 2025- Median age
- 25.3 years
- Languages
- Lao
- Capital / principal city
- Vientiane
Ethnic and religious categories vary by national census and are not presented without a directly comparable, dated source.
Placed in context
Population0.2× atlas average
GDP#136 of 192
Population compares the 207 atlas profiles. GDP ranking includes profiles with a published World Bank value.
A concise timeline
Wikidata records the current state as dating from 1949. Earlier state forms, independence milestones, and later constitutional changes may use different dates, so this is a starting point rather than a complete national timeline.
- Government
- Not published
- Head of state
- Thongloun Sisoulith
- Head of government
- Sonexay Siphandone
- Current constitution
- Comparable date pending
Land and climate
- Climate
- Tropical to subtropical zones
- Geography
- Laos is in South-Eastern Asia and has no coastline. Its listed area is 236,800 km².
- Highest point
- Phou Bia
- Major rivers
- Profile-specific value pending
- Natural resources
- Profile-specific value pending
Practical essentials
- Driving side
- Right
- Calling code
- +856
- Time zones
- Profile-specific value pending
- Plug types
- Profile-specific value pending
- Tipping
- Local customs vary by setting
- Emergency numbers
- Emergency numbers vary; check official guidance
Remember Laos
- Vientiane is the capital city.
- Laos covers 236,800 km².
- Laos is landlocked.
- It shares land borders with Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Thailand, Vietnam.
- Listed official languages include Lao.
- Its international calling code is +856.
- The latest published population in this atlas is 7.9M (2025).
- The listed currency code is LAK.
Connected places
Neighboring profiles
Continue exploring across each listed land border or connected geography.
This profile has land borders and no coastline.
Visual atlas
Laos in view
People & place
Country
essentials.
Lao
Languages listed in the open country catalog for Laos.
5 listed connections
This profile has land borders and no coastline.
Lao kip (LAK)
The primary currency code and name used in the country catalog.
Identity card
Four essentials
LATwo-letter country code
LAOThree-letter country code
VientianeCapital city
AsiaWorld region
Sources & notes
Numbers you can trace.
Statistics show their reference year because country data changes. Unavailable values are clearly marked instead of estimated.
- UN DESA World Population Prospects — population, age, sex balance, and longevity ↗
- World Bank — latest available economic indicators ↗
- World Bank — urban population share ↗
- Wikidata — government and current officeholders ↗
- National anthem audio source — Pheng Xat Lao ↗
- Open country catalog — names, codes and geography ↗
- OpenStreetMap — map data ↗
Verified data & AI projection
Laos
Special Report.
Laos is profiled through long-run World Bank indicators covering the economy, population, health, work, technology, and environment. South-Eastern Asia context, landlocked geography, demographic direction, and long-run development indicators.
Current demographic baselineUN DESA · 2026
Medium projection from World Population Prospects, 2024 Revision
Executive read
What the numbers suggest
- Population has moved up since 2000, giving the report a clear demographic baseline.
- Life expectancy is higher than in 2000, showing the direction of health and longevity conditions.
- Recent GDP growth averages 3.5% across the latest 5 available observations.
Human development pressure
9.1MPopulation base
72.2 yrsLife expectancy
1.90Fertility rate
100.0%Internet access
2035 scenarios are simple educational trend projections from recent historical observations. They are not official forecasts.
economy · NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG
HighGDP growth
20005.80%
20254.54%
2035 base4.38%
Low4.43%Base4.38%High4.32%
recent average · % annual
people · SP.POP.GROW
HighPopulation growth
20001.68%
20251.32%
2035 base1.02%
Low1.13%Base1.02%High0.92%
linear trend · % annual
people · SP.POP.TOTL
HighPopulation
20005.4M
20257.9M
2035 base9.1M
Low8.7MBase9.1MHigh9.6M
compound trend · people
health · SP.DYN.LE00.IN
HighLife expectancy
200058.3 yrs
202469.2 yrs
2035 base72.2 yrs
Low71.1 yrsBase72.2 yrsHigh73.2 yrs
linear trend · years
people · SP.DYN.TFRT.IN
HighFertility rate
20004.43
20242.40
2035 base1.90
Low2.07Base1.90High1.72
linear trend · births per woman
people · SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS
HighUrban population
200022.2%
202540.3%
2035 base47.5%
Low45.0%Base47.5%High50.0%
linear trend · % of total
economy · FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG
HighInflation
200025.1%
20257.74%
2035 base10.2%
Low9.32%Base10.2%High11.0%
recent average · % annual
work · SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
HighUnemployment
20002.04%
20251.19%
2035 base2.05%
Low1.75%Base2.05%High2.35%
recent average · % labor force
economy · NY.GDP.PCAP.CD
HighGDP per capita
2000$318.7
2025$2.3K
2035 base$2.5K
Low$2.5KBase$2.5KHigh$2.6K
compound trend · current US$
environment · EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5
HighCO2 per person
20000.17
20243.35
2035 base5.30
Low4.62Base5.30High5.98
linear trend · t CO2e/capita
technology · IT.NET.USER.ZS
HighInternet access
20000.11%
202465.6%
2035 base100.0%
Low100.0%Base100.0%High100.0%
linear trend · % of people
economy · NY.GDP.MKTP.CD
HighGDP
2000$1.7B
2025$18.3B
2035 base$23.2B
Low$21.4BBase$23.2BHigh$25.2B
compound trend · current US$
Educational projection, not an official forecast.Historical values are World Bank observations retrieved 2026-08-13. The 2026 demographic baseline is the official UN DESA medium projection from World Population Prospects 2024. The atlas's 2035 scenarios use simple trend math.