Laos vs Thailand
Laos vs Thailand: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 40.3% in Laos and 62.8% in Thailand, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Thailand, by 22.5 percentage points, or 1.56 times that in Laos.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- Thailand has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
- In 2025, Laos ranked 179 and Thailand ranked 124 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Laos at 62.7% and Thailand at 79.2% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Laos | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 40.3 | 62.8 |
| 2024 | 39.6 | 61.9 |
| 2023 | 38.8 | 60.9 |
| 2022 | 38.1 | 59.7 |
| 2021 | 37.3 | 58.5 |
| 2020 | 36.6 | 57.2 |
| 2019 | 35.9 | 55.9 |
| 2018 | 35.2 | 54.6 |
| 2017 | 34.5 | 49.2 |
| 2016 | 33.8 | 47.9 |
| 2015 | 33.1 | 47 |
| 2014 | 32.7 | 46.3 |
| 2013 | 32.2 | 45.8 |
| 2012 | 31.7 | 45.4 |
| 2011 | 31.2 | 44.8 |
| 2010 | 30.7 | 44 |
| 2009 | 30 | 43 |
| 2008 | 29.4 | 41.9 |
| 2007 | 28.7 | 40.7 |
| 2006 | 28 | 39.4 |
| 2005 | 27.3 | 38.1 |
| 2004 | 26.5 | 36.8 |
| 2003 | 25.6 | 35.4 |
| 2002 | 24.5 | 34.1 |
| 2001 | 23.4 | 32.7 |
| 2000 | 22.2 | 31.5 |
| 1999 | 21 | 30.2 |
| 1998 | 19.9 | 28.7 |
| 1997 | 18.9 | 27.2 |
| 1996 | 18 | 25.6 |
| 1995 | 17.3 | 24.1 |
| 1994 | 16.8 | 22.7 |
| 1993 | 16.3 | 21.3 |
| 1992 | 15.9 | 20.2 |
| 1991 | 15.6 | 19.4 |
| 1990 | 15.2 | 18.8 |
| 1989 | 14.9 | 18.5 |
| 1988 | 14.7 | 18.3 |
| 1987 | 14.4 | 18.1 |
| 1986 | 14.1 | 18 |
| 1985 | 13.8 | 17.8 |
| 1984 | 13.5 | 17.7 |
| 1983 | 13.2 | 17.6 |
| 1982 | 12.9 | 17.4 |
| 1981 | 12.7 | 17.3 |
| 1980 | 12.4 | 17.1 |
| 1979 | 12.1 | 16.8 |
| 1978 | 11.9 | 16.5 |
| 1977 | 11.6 | 16.1 |
| 1976 | 11.3 | 15.7 |
| 1975 | 11.1 | 15.2 |
| 1974 | 10.8 | 14.8 |
| 1973 | 10.5 | 14.3 |
| 1972 | 10.2 | 13.9 |
| 1971 | 9.8 | 13.6 |
| 1970 | 9.5 | 13.3 |
| 1969 | 9.1 | 13.1 |
| 1968 | 8.8 | 12.9 |
| 1967 | 8.6 | 12.8 |
| 1966 | 8.4 | 12.6 |
| 1965 | 8.3 | 12.5 |
| 1964 | 8.2 | 12.3 |
| 1963 | 8.1 | 12.2 |
| 1962 | 8 | 12.1 |
| 1961 | 7.9 | 12 |
| 1960 | 7.8 | 11.8 |
| 1959 | 7.8 | 11.7 |
| 1958 | 7.8 | 11.5 |
| 1957 | 7.8 | 11.4 |
| 1956 | 7.7 | 11.2 |
| 1955 | 7.7 | 11.1 |
| 1954 | 7.6 | 11 |
| 1953 | 7.6 | 10.8 |
| 1952 | 7.6 | 10.7 |
| 1951 | 7.5 | 10.5 |
| 1950 | 7.5 | 10.4 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Laos | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 41.1 | 63.7 |
| 2027 | 41.9 | 64.6 |
| 2028 | 42.6 | 65.6 |
| 2029 | 43.4 | 66.4 |
| 2030 | 44.3 | 67.3 |
| 2031 | 45.1 | 68.2 |
| 2032 | 45.9 | 69 |
| 2033 | 46.7 | 69.9 |
| 2034 | 47.6 | 70.7 |
| 2035 | 48.4 | 71.5 |
| 2036 | 49.3 | 72.2 |
| 2037 | 50.2 | 72.9 |
| 2038 | 51.1 | 73.6 |
| 2039 | 52 | 74.3 |
| 2040 | 52.9 | 75 |
| 2041 | 53.8 | 75.6 |
| 2042 | 54.8 | 76.1 |
| 2043 | 55.7 | 76.7 |
| 2044 | 56.7 | 77.2 |
| 2045 | 57.7 | 77.6 |
| 2046 | 58.7 | 78 |
| 2047 | 59.7 | 78.4 |
| 2048 | 60.7 | 78.7 |
| 2049 | 61.7 | 78.9 |
| 2050 | 62.7 | 79.2 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
- Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Laos vs Thailand
Health
- Life expectancyLaos: 69 years in 2023Thailand: 76.4 years in 2023
- 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
- 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