France vs Laos: Compare Statistics

Side-by-side comparison of 105 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.

Summary

Comparing France and Laos: Laos leads on Major Urban Areas Population (721,000 people) against France (11.21 people); Laos leads on Radios (730,000) against France (55.30); Laos leads on Refined Petroleum Products Consumption (18,000) against France (1.71). Across 105 compared metrics, France wins on 62 and Laos wins on 33.

  • Communications: 6 metrics compared
  • Economy: 44 metrics compared
  • Environment: 5 metrics compared
  • Geography: 6 metrics compared
  • Government: 4 metrics compared
  • Health: 8 metrics compared
  • Military and Security: 1 metric compared
  • People and Society: 29 metrics compared
  • Transportation: 2 metrics compared

Communications

6 metrics
Metric🇫🇷 France🇱🇦 LaosShare
Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population)86.84 %63.63 %
Internet Userspercent of population: 87% (2023 est.)percent of population: 64% (2023 est.)
Press Freedom Index Score76.62 points33.22 points
Radios55.3730,000
Televisions34.852,000
Waterwaysmetropolitan France: 8,501 km (1,621 km navigable by craft up to 3,000 metric tons) (2010)4,600

Economy

44 metrics
Metric🇫🇷 France🇱🇦 LaosShare
Agriculture Value Added as a Share of GDP by Country58.37B $2.85B $
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Country in Current US Dollars3.37T $13.95B $
Central Bank Discount Rate (%)0 %4.3 %
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate (%)1.29 %18.5 %
Current Health Expenditure (% of GDP)11.3 % of GDP2.3 % of GDP
Ease of Doing Business Index76.862.7
Electricity Consumption450.85.47
Electricity Exports61.418.47
Electricity from Fossil Fuels1728
Electricity from Hydroelectric Plants1572
Electricity from Nuclear Fuels500
Electricity from Other Renewables191
Electricity Imports19.92.5
Electricity Installed Capacity130.86.94
Electricity Production529.129.74
Energy Consumption per Capita (USD)123.53 USD per capita34.46 USD per capita
Gini Index Coefficient31.238.8
Gross Fixed Investment19.928.6
Gross National Saving22.922.7
Industrial Production Growth Rate (%)0.7 %3.9 %
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)2 %23.1 %
Military Expenditures (% of GDP)2.1 % of GDP0.2 % of GDP
Natural Gas Consumption41.880
Natural Gas Exports6.030
Natural Gas Imports48.590
Natural Gas Production16.990
Natural Gas Proved Reserves8.410
Oil Consumption1.863,000
Oil Exports487,2000
Oil Imports2.221,918
Oil Production84,8200
Oil Proved Reserves91.630
Population Below Poverty Line15.6 people18.3 people
Public Debt98.558.4
Real GDP Growth Rate (USD)1.2 USD4.3 USD
Refined Petroleum Products Consumption1.7118,000
Refined Petroleum Products Exports440,6000
Refined Petroleum Products Imports886,80017,460
Refined Petroleum Products Production1.310
Remittances1.21.8
Revenue from Forest Resources0.031.48
Share of population in poverty ($3 a day)0.0215.66
Taxes and Other Revenues23.112.1
Unemployment Rate7.4 %1.3 %

Environment

5 metrics
Metric🇫🇷 France🇱🇦 LaosShare
Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs)-6.11M242,858
Carbon Dioxide Emissions303.7823.41
Population Distributionmuch of the population is concentrated in the north and southeast; although there are many urban agglomerations throughout the country, Paris is by far the largest city, with Lyon ranked a distant secondmost densely populated area is in and around the capital city of Vientiane; large communities are primarily found along the Mekong River along the southwestern border; overall density is considered one of the lowest in Southeast Asia
Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country120 Cubic meters per year37.9 Cubic meters per year
Total Renewable Water Resources211333.5

Geography

6 metrics
Metric🇫🇷 France🇱🇦 LaosShare
Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization4.22 %1.15 %
Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha)135.5121.5
Agricultural land281,003.2 sq. km21,486.6 sq. km
Coastline Length (km)4,853 km0 km
Dam capacity per capita148.88 cubic meters per inhabitant1,319.14 cubic meters per inhabitant
Irrigated Land14,2364,410

Government

4 metrics
Metric🇫🇷 France🇱🇦 LaosShare
Rule of Law Index by Country82.08 %29.3 %
Administrative Divisions1817
Independenceno official date of independence: 486 (Frankish tribes unified under Merovingian kingship); 10 August 843 (Western Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 14 July 1789 (French monarchy overthrown); 22 September 1792 (First French19
Suffrage Participation Rate1818

Health

8 metrics
Metric🇫🇷 France🇱🇦 LaosShare
Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population)6.56.7
Health Expenditure (% of GDP)12.3 % of GDP2.7 % of GDP
HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate0.3 %0.3 %
Hospital Bed Density6 people/sq km1.3 people/sq km
Maternal Mortality Ratio (%)7 %112 %
Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%)21.6 %5.3 %
People Living With HIV/AIDS190,00015,000
Underweight Children Under 5NA21.1

Military and Security

1 metric
Metric🇫🇷 France🇱🇦 LaosShare
Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP)304,000129,000

People and Society

29 metrics
Metric🇫🇷 France🇱🇦 LaosShare
Currently married (Percent)52.51 %61.45 %
Human Capital Index0.760.46
Life expectancy at birth86.69 years72.32 years
Median age of population42.51 years25.25 years
Population Change62,507.4 persons102,278.9 persons
Population density121.19 per sq. km34.57 per sq. km
Total population66.75M persons7.98M persons
Academic Freedom Index0.80.12
Birth Rate (%)10.88 %19.22 %
Contraceptive Prevalence RateNA54.1 %
Death Rate (%)9.91 %6.07 %
Education Expenditure (% of GDP)5.3 % of GDP1.2 % of GDP
Female population of reproductive age13.97M persons2.16M persons
Labor Force Participation Rate31.733.59
Learning-adjusted years of school11.25 years5.98 years
Length of paid parental leave for mother180 days0 days
Major Urban Areas Population11.21 people721,000 people
Mean Male Height (cm)179.74160.52
Military Manpower at Military Age1818
Military Service Age and Obligationgenerally 17-30 years of age for both men and women with some variations by service, position, and enlisted versus officer; 17-40 for National Gendarmerie; basic service contract is for 12 months; no conscription (abolished 2001) (2025) note 1: a 10-month18
Percentage of population by degree of urbanization62.53 %32.65 %
Physician Density3.28 people/sq km0.33 people/sq km
Population Growth Rate0.2 %1.22 %
Population living in slums0 %47.45 %
Total deaths607,731.9 persons47,791 persons
Total demand for family planning (Percent)70.02 %48.69 %
Total fertility rate1.56 per woman2.33 per woman
Total net-migration66,501.8 persons-10,536.3 persons
Under-five mortality rate3.49 per live births34.16 per live births

Transportation

2 metrics
Metric🇫🇷 France🇱🇦 LaosShare
Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP)1.350.26
Airports1,21820

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