Land Area
China
9,596,961 km²
Largest
Lao People's Democratic Republic
236,800 km²
2.5% of largest
China is 40.53× larger than Lao People's Democratic Republic
Population
China
LARGEST
1.41B
PEOPLE
Lao People's Democratic Republic
0.5% OF LARGEST
7.53M
PEOPLE
China has 187.61× the population of Lao People's Democratic Republic
GDP
China
LARGEST
$17.96T
Lao People's Democratic Republic
0.1% OF LARGEST
$19.14B
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
China
LARGEST
2.04M
TROOPS
Lao People's Democratic Republic
1.4% OF LARGEST
29.1K
TROOPS
China has 69.93× the active personnel of Lao People's Democratic Republic
Air Force
China
LARGEST
3.29K
AIRCRAFT
Lao People's Democratic Republic
1.1% OF LARGEST
35
AIRCRAFT
China has 93.86× the aircraft of Lao People's Democratic Republic
Naval Assets
China
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Wealth
Gold Reserves
China
LARGEST
2,279.6
Metric Tonnes
Lao People's Democratic Republic
0.0% OF LARGEST
0.9
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
China
LARGEST
$3.27T
Reserves · excl. gold
Lao People's Democratic Republic
0.1% OF LARGEST
$2B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
China
MOST
473
billionaires
Lao People's Democratic Republic
—
Oil
Proven Reserves
China
LARGEST
26
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
China
NET IMPORTER
Production
4.1M b/d
Consumption
15.4M b/d
−11.3M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
China
$3,753.1B
Exports
$3,753.1B
Imports
$3,219.3B
Trade Balance
+$533.7B
Trade Surplus
Lao People's Democratic Republic
$5.3B
Exports
$5.3B
Imports
$6.7B
Trade Balance
$-1.4B
Trade Deficit
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Lao People's Democratic Republic
supply
China
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
China
consumption
Lao People's Democratic Republic
supply
Beer
litres / person / yr
Lao People's Democratic Republic
consumption
China
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
China
consumption
Lao People's Democratic Republic
supply
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Lao People's Democratic Republic
consumption
China
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
China
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
China
330
Gold
262
Silver
227
Bronze
819
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 727
❄ Winter: 92
Lao People's Democratic Republic
No Olympic medal data
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
China
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Age Demographics
Median Age
China
39.0
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Lao People's Democratic Republic
25.2
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
China is 13.8 years older (median) than Lao People's Democratic Republic
Youth Population
Lao People's Democratic Republic has the highest youth population at 58.3% (under 30)
Elderly Population
China has the highest elderly population at 19.0% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
China
|
Lao People's Democratic Republic
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
85
|
— |
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
65.7M
|
— |
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
8
|
— |
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
9
|
— |
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
China
|
Lao People's Democratic Republic
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $5 | $2.5 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $25 | $12.0 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $600 | $250.0 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $380 | $150.0 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $50 | $35.0 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $20 | $25.0 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $30 | $0.4 |
Historical Data
Basic Information
| Metric | China | Lao People's Democratic Republic |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1412600000 | 7529475 |
| Area (sq km) | 9596961 | 236800 |
| Capital | Beijing | Vientiane |
| Official Language | Mandarin Chinese | Lao |
| Currency | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) | Lao Kip (LAK) |
| Government Type | Unitary one-party socialist republic | One-party socialist republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | China | Lao People's Democratic Republic |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 2,035,000 | 29,100 |
| Reserve Personnel | 510,000 | 100,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 2,545,000 | 129,100 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $292,000,000,000 | $30,000,000.0 |
| Tanks | 5,651 | 130 |
| Armored Vehicles | 35,000 | 405 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 4,120 | 10 |
| Towed Artillery | 6,246 | 150 |
| Rocket Projectors | 2,430 | 32 |
Economy
| Metric | China | Lao People's Democratic Republic |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $17,963,200,000,000 | $19,136,000,000.0 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $12,720 | $2,542.0 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 4.0% | 1.5% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 38.5 | 38.8 |
| Currency | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) | Lao Kip (LAK) |
| Direct Currency Comparison (1 unit of row currency equals X units of column currency) | ||
| China Currency | 1.00 (Same) | 0.0003 Weaker |
| Lao People's Democratic Republic Currency | 3240.1079 Stronger | 1.00 (Same) |
| USD Base Exchange Rates (All calculations use USD as the base currency) | ||
| Currency | CNY | LAK |
| 1 USD equals | 6.8086 CNY Updated: 2026-06-27 | 22060.5986 LAK Updated: 2026-06-27 |
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
China is 40.5 times larger in area than Lao People's Democratic Republic.
That's a massive difference!
China has 187.6 times more people than Lao People's Democratic Republic.
With over a billion people, that's more than 1/8 of humanity!
China has the highest GDP per capita at $12,720 among the selected countries.
China has the largest economy with a GDP of
$17.96 trillion.
China has the largest active military personnel with 2,035,000 troops.
China has the largest air force with 3,285 aircraft.
China has the largest navy with 777 vessels.
China Fact: China produces more than 1.4 billion tons of rice annually, feeding nearly 20% of the world's population.
China vs Lao People's Democratic Republic: Key Comparisons
Economy: China's GDP of $18.0T is 938.7x larger than Lao People's Democratic Republic's $19B — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: China's population of 1.4B is 187.6x larger than Lao People's Democratic Republic's 8M.
Area: China covers 9,596,961 km², making it 40.5x larger than Lao People's Democratic Republic.
Military: China fields 2Million active troops vs Lao People's Democratic Republic's 29Thousand.
Trade: China runs a trade surplus of $534B while Lao People's Democratic Republic has a trade deficit of $1B.
Life Expectancy: China leads with a life expectancy of 77 years vs Lao People's Democratic Republic's 69.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated June 2026.
Sources & methodology