Laos vs Thailand
Laos vs Thailand: Life expectancy
Life expectancy in 2023: 69 years in Laos and 76.4 years in Thailand, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Thailand, by 7.5 years, or 1.11 times that in Laos.
years · UN
What the numbers say
- Thailand has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
- In 2023, Laos ranked 171 and Thailand ranked 96 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (medium variant) puts Laos at 81.3 years and Thailand at 88.4 years in 2100.
- The world as a whole: 73.2 years in 2023.
Every year
years · UN
| Year | Laos | Thailand | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 69 | 76.4 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 68.7 | 75.3 | 72.6 |
| 2021 | 67.8 | 77.6 | 70.9 |
| 2020 | 68.3 | 77.3 | 71.9 |
| 2019 | 67.9 | 77.2 | 72.6 |
| 2018 | 67.6 | 77.2 | 72.4 |
| 2017 | 67.4 | 77 | 72.1 |
| 2016 | 67 | 76.8 | 71.9 |
| 2015 | 66.7 | 76.6 | 71.6 |
| 2014 | 66.4 | 76.3 | 71.4 |
| 2013 | 65.7 | 76 | 71.1 |
| 2012 | 65.1 | 75.6 | 70.8 |
| 2011 | 64.5 | 75.3 | 70.4 |
| 2010 | 63.7 | 75 | 70.1 |
| 2009 | 63 | 74.7 | 69.7 |
| 2008 | 62.3 | 74.2 | 69.3 |
| 2007 | 61.7 | 73.8 | 69 |
| 2006 | 61.1 | 73.3 | 68.6 |
| 2005 | 60.7 | 72.9 | 68.1 |
| 2004 | 60.1 | 72.1 | 67.7 |
| 2003 | 59.6 | 72.1 | 67.4 |
| 2002 | 59.3 | 71.8 | 67.1 |
| 2001 | 58.9 | 71.5 | 66.8 |
| 2000 | 58.3 | 71.2 | 66.4 |
| 1999 | 57.9 | 71 | 66 |
| 1998 | 57.6 | 70.7 | 65.7 |
| 1997 | 57.3 | 70.4 | 65.5 |
| 1996 | 56.8 | 69.9 | 65.2 |
| 1995 | 56.3 | 69.8 | 64.9 |
| 1994 | 55.8 | 69.7 | 64.3 |
| 1993 | 55.6 | 69.6 | 64.4 |
| 1992 | 55.1 | 69.4 | 64.3 |
| 1991 | 54.7 | 69.1 | 64.1 |
| 1990 | 54 | 68.9 | 64 |
| 1989 | 53.6 | 68.6 | 63.8 |
| 1988 | 53.1 | 68.2 | 63.4 |
| 1987 | 52.6 | 67.8 | 63.2 |
| 1986 | 52.1 | 67.3 | 62.7 |
| 1985 | 51.6 | 66.5 | 62.2 |
| 1984 | 51 | 65.6 | 61.9 |
| 1983 | 50.5 | 64.5 | 61.5 |
| 1982 | 49.9 | 63.6 | 61.3 |
| 1981 | 49.2 | 62.9 | 60.9 |
| 1980 | 48.6 | 62.2 | 60.5 |
| 1979 | 47.5 | 61.7 | 60.2 |
| 1978 | 46.8 | 61.3 | 59.5 |
| 1977 | 46.4 | 60.9 | 59.2 |
| 1976 | 46 | 60.4 | 58.6 |
| 1975 | 46.2 | 59.7 | 58.3 |
| 1974 | 45.9 | 59 | 58.1 |
| 1973 | 44.7 | 58.3 | 57.7 |
| 1972 | 44.4 | 57.8 | 57.2 |
| 1971 | 44.1 | 57.1 | 56 |
| 1970 | 43.8 | 56.5 | 56.3 |
| 1969 | 43.5 | 55.7 | 56 |
| 1968 | 43.2 | 55 | 55.6 |
| 1967 | 42.9 | 54.3 | 55.1 |
| 1966 | 42.4 | 53.7 | 54.6 |
| 1965 | 42.2 | 53.1 | 54 |
| 1964 | 41.9 | 52.5 | 54.3 |
| 1963 | 41.5 | 52 | 53.7 |
| 1962 | 42.3 | 51.4 | 53.2 |
| 1961 | 41.3 | 51.1 | 50.4 |
| 1960 | 41 | 50.6 | 47.8 |
| 1959 | 40.8 | 50.1 | 49.6 |
| 1958 | 41.2 | 49.6 | 51.6 |
| 1957 | 40.9 | 49.1 | 51.1 |
| 1956 | 40.6 | 48.6 | 50.7 |
| 1955 | 40.3 | 48.1 | 50.2 |
| 1954 | 40 | 47.6 | 49.7 |
| 1953 | 39.7 | 47.1 | 48.8 |
| 1952 | 39.4 | 46.5 | 48.2 |
| 1951 | 39.2 | 45.9 | 47.1 |
| 1950 | 38.9 | 45.2 | 46.4 |
| 1948 | – | 49.9 | – |
| 1947 | – | 41.8 | – |
| 1941 | – | 38.3 | – |
| 1937 | – | 40.3 | – |
- 12.3Estimates, Our World in Data
UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100
| Year | Laos | Thailand | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 69.267.9–70.6 | 76.675.6–77.6 | 73.3 |
| 2025 | 69.567.5–71.4 | 76.875.3–78.2 | 73.5 |
| 2026 | 69.767.4–72 | 77.175.3–78.8 | 73.8 |
| 2027 | 69.967.2–72.4 | 77.375.3–79.3 | 73.9 |
| 2028 | 70.267.2–73 | 77.575.2–79.7 | 74.1 |
| 2029 | 70.467.1–73.5 | 77.775.2–80.1 | 74.2 |
| 2030 | 70.667–73.9 | 77.975.2–80.5 | 74.4 |
| 2031 | 70.867–74.3 | 78.175.2–80.9 | 74.5 |
| 2032 | 7167–74.7 | 78.375–81.2 | 74.7 |
| 2033 | 71.266.9–75.2 | 78.575.1–81.7 | 74.8 |
| 2034 | 71.467.1–75.4 | 78.775.2–81.9 | 75 |
| 2035 | 71.767–75.8 | 78.975.2–82.2 | 75.1 |
| 2036 | 71.867.1–76.2 | 79.175.2–82.6 | 75.3 |
| 2037 | 7267.4–76.5 | 79.375.3–82.9 | 75.4 |
| 2038 | 72.267.3–76.8 | 79.575.4–83.2 | 75.5 |
| 2039 | 72.467.2–77.1 | 79.775.3–83.4 | 75.7 |
| 2040 | 72.667.3–77.5 | 79.975.5–83.7 | 75.8 |
| 2041 | 72.867.4–77.9 | 80.175.7–84 | 75.9 |
| 2042 | 72.967.4–78.3 | 80.375.7–84.2 | 76.1 |
| 2043 | 73.167.4–78.4 | 80.576–84.4 | 76.2 |
| 2044 | 73.367.3–78.8 | 80.775.9–84.6 | 76.3 |
| 2045 | 73.467.3–79 | 80.976–84.9 | 76.5 |
| 2046 | 73.667.2–79.2 | 8176–85 | 76.6 |
| 2047 | 73.867.4–79.7 | 81.276–85.2 | 76.7 |
| 2048 | 73.967.3–80 | 81.476.3–85.3 | 76.8 |
| 2049 | 74.167.4–80.2 | 81.676.3–85.6 | 76.9 |
| 2050 | 74.267.7–80.4 | 81.776.3–85.9 | 77 |
| 2051 | 74.467.5–80.7 | 81.976.4–86.1 | 77.1 |
| 2052 | 74.567.4–80.9 | 82.176.6–86.5 | 77.2 |
| 2053 | 74.767.5–81.1 | 82.276.4–86.6 | 77.3 |
| 2054 | 74.967.7–81.4 | 82.476.5–86.8 | 77.4 |
| 2055 | 7567.6–81.6 | 82.576.7–87.2 | 77.6 |
| 2056 | 75.267.8–81.8 | 82.776.8–87.3 | 77.7 |
| 2057 | 75.367.7–82.1 | 82.876.8–87.5 | 77.8 |
| 2058 | 75.467.6–82.4 | 8377–87.8 | 77.9 |
| 2059 | 75.667.9–82.6 | 83.177.2–88 | 78 |
| 2060 | 75.767.9–82.8 | 83.377.4–88.3 | 78.1 |
| 2061 | 75.967.8–83 | 83.477.5–88.4 | 78.2 |
| 2062 | 7667.9–83.3 | 83.677.7–88.5 | 78.3 |
| 2063 | 76.268.2–83.4 | 83.777.7–88.7 | 78.4 |
| 2064 | 76.368.2–83.8 | 83.977.6–89 | 78.5 |
| 2065 | 76.568.4–84 | 8477.8–89.1 | 78.6 |
| 2066 | 76.668.4–84.2 | 84.178–89.3 | 78.7 |
| 2067 | 76.868.4–84.2 | 84.378.2–89.6 | 78.8 |
| 2068 | 76.968.4–84.4 | 84.478.4–89.7 | 78.9 |
| 2069 | 77.168.4–84.5 | 84.678.3–89.8 | 79 |
| 2070 | 77.268.4–84.6 | 84.778.4–90 | 79.1 |
| 2071 | 77.468.5–84.8 | 84.878.6–90.3 | 79.2 |
| 2072 | 77.568.7–85 | 8578.7–90.6 | 79.3 |
| 2073 | 77.668.3–85.2 | 85.178.6–90.7 | 79.4 |
| 2074 | 77.868.5–85.3 | 85.279–91.1 | 79.4 |
| 2075 | 77.968.3–85.5 | 85.479–91.3 | 79.5 |
| 2076 | 78.168.4–85.9 | 85.579.1–91.3 | 79.6 |
| 2077 | 78.268.5–85.9 | 85.679.1–91.6 | 79.7 |
| 2078 | 78.368.2–86 | 85.779.2–91.7 | 79.8 |
| 2079 | 78.568.2–86.2 | 85.979.4–91.9 | 79.9 |
| 2080 | 78.668.6–86.4 | 8679.4–92 | 80 |
| 2081 | 78.868.6–86.6 | 86.179.6–92.2 | 80.1 |
| 2082 | 78.968.7–86.6 | 86.279.7–92.3 | 80.2 |
| 2083 | 7968.6–86.9 | 86.480–92.6 | 80.3 |
| 2084 | 79.269.1–87 | 86.580–92.7 | 80.3 |
| 2085 | 79.368.6–87.1 | 86.680–93 | 80.4 |
| 2086 | 79.468.5–87.1 | 86.780.1–93.1 | 80.5 |
| 2087 | 79.668.6–87 | 86.980.1–93.2 | 80.6 |
| 2088 | 79.768.8–87.2 | 8780.3–93.5 | 80.7 |
| 2089 | 79.968.7–87.1 | 87.180.5–93.5 | 80.8 |
| 2090 | 8068.6–87.3 | 87.280.5–93.9 | 80.9 |
| 2091 | 80.169–87.5 | 87.480.8–93.9 | 81 |
| 2092 | 80.368.9–87.8 | 87.580.9–94 | 81 |
| 2093 | 80.469.2–87.9 | 87.681.1–94.1 | 81.1 |
| 2094 | 80.569.1–88.2 | 87.781.1–94.5 | 81.2 |
| 2095 | 80.769.2–88.3 | 87.881.2–94.7 | 81.3 |
| 2096 | 80.869.3–88.4 | 8881.3–94.9 | 81.4 |
| 2097 | 80.969.3–88.7 | 88.181.2–95.1 | 81.5 |
| 2098 | 81.168.9–88.6 | 88.281.3–95.2 | 81.6 |
| 2099 | 81.269.2–88.8 | 88.381.7–95.5 | 81.7 |
| 2100 | 81.369.5–88.9 | 88.481.5–95.5 | 81.7 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How long a newborn would live on average if the year’s death rates held all its life.
- Source: UN DESA, World Population Prospects 2024.
- Before 1950: Our World in Data, long-run life expectancy.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (medium variant), a scenario rather than a forecast; the band is its 95% prediction interval.
- Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2023, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Laos vs Thailand
Health
- Child mortalityLaos: 2.9 per 100 live births in 2024Thailand: 0.9 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityLaos: 31.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Thailand: 6.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionLaos: 2.91% in 2017Thailand: 3.09% in 2017
- Suicide rateLaos: 8.4 per 100,000 people in 2017Thailand: 10.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationLaos: 7.67 million people in 2023Thailand: 71.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthLaos: 1.38% a year in 2023Thailand: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateLaos: 2.42 births per woman in 2023Thailand: 1.21 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationLaos: 40.3% in 2025Thailand: 62.8% in 2025
- Median ageLaos: 24.3 years in 2023Thailand: 39.7 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overLaos: 4.5% in 2023Thailand: 14.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateLaos: -1.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Thailand: 0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingLaos: 0.19% of GDP in 2013Thailand: 1.04% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsLaos: $21.8M in 2013Thailand: $5.57B in 2025
- Military spending per personLaos: $3 in 2013Thailand: $84 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingLaos: 0.8% of government spending in 2013Thailand: 4.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelLaos: 129,000 people in 2020Thailand: 455,000 people in 2020
- National powerLaos: 0.06% of world capability in 2022Thailand: 0.79% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersLaos: 4.08% of the labour force in 2020Thailand: 1.13% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsLaos: 7 million TIV in 2024Thailand: 33 million TIV in 2025