Cambodia vs Laos
Cambodia vs Laos: Learning-adjusted schooling
Learning-adjusted schooling in 2020: 6.8 years in Cambodia and 6.3 years in Laos, by World Bank estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Cambodia, by 0.6 years, or 1.09 times that in Laos.
years · World Bank
What the numbers say
- Cambodia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2017.
- In 2020, Cambodia ranked 109 and Laos ranked 125 of 174 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
years · World Bank
| Year | Cambodia | Laos |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 6.8 | 6.3 |
| 2018 | 6.9 | 6.3 |
| 2017 | 6.9 | 6.4 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The years of school a child can expect by 18, cut to what students actually learn: the World Bank’s learning-adjusted years of school.
- Source: World Bank Human Capital Index, via Our World in Data.
- Ranks count the 174 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Cambodia vs Laos
Health
- Life expectancyCambodia: 70.7 years in 2023Laos: 69 years in 2023
- Child mortalityCambodia: 1.8 per 100 live births in 2024Laos: 2.9 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityCambodia: 19.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023Laos: 31.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterCambodia: 29.1% in 2022Laos: 17.9% in 2022
- DepressionCambodia: 3.1% in 2017Laos: 2.91% in 2017
- Suicide rateCambodia: 4.5 per 100,000 people in 2017Laos: 8.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationCambodia: 17.4 million people in 2023Laos: 7.67 million people in 2023
- Population growthCambodia: 1.25% a year in 2023Laos: 1.38% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateCambodia: 2.58 births per woman in 2023Laos: 2.42 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationCambodia: 41.1% in 2025Laos: 40.3% in 2025
- Median ageCambodia: 25.8 years in 2023Laos: 24.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overCambodia: 6% in 2023Laos: 4.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateCambodia: -1.8 per 1,000 people in 2023Laos: -1.3 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingCambodia: 1.45% of GDP in 2025Laos: 0.19% of GDP in 2013
- Military spending in US dollarsCambodia: $716M in 2025Laos: $21.8M in 2013
- Military spending per personCambodia: $42 in 2025Laos: $3 in 2013
- Military share of state spendingCambodia: 8.2% of government spending in 2025Laos: 0.8% of government spending in 2013
- Armed forces personnelCambodia: 191,000 people in 2020Laos: 129,000 people in 2020
- National powerCambodia: 0.16% of world capability in 2022Laos: 0.06% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersCambodia: 2.02% of the labour force in 2020Laos: 4.08% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsCambodia: 56 million TIV in 2023Laos: 7 million TIV in 2024