LAK
…
RUB
…
Land Area
Russia
17,098,246 km²
Largest
Laos
236,800 km²
1.4% of largest
Russia is 72.21× larger than Laos
Population
Russia
LARGEST
143.51M
PEOPLE
Laos
5.5% OF LARGEST
7.87M
PEOPLE
Russia has 18.23× the population of Laos
GDP
Russia
LARGEST
$2.56T
Laos
0.7% OF LARGEST
$18.3B
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
Russia
LARGEST
900K
TROOPS
Laos
3.2% OF LARGEST
29.1K
TROOPS
Russia has 30.93× the active personnel of Laos
Air Force
Russia
LARGEST
4.17K
AIRCRAFT
Laos
0.8% OF LARGEST
35
AIRCRAFT
Russia has 119.23× the aircraft of Laos
Naval Assets
Russia
Laos
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Russia
LARGEST
2,332.8
Metric Tonnes
Laos
0.0% OF LARGEST
0.9
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
Russia
LARGEST
$413B
Reserves · excl. gold
Laos
0.5% OF LARGEST
$2B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
Russia
MOST
120
billionaires
Laos
—
Oil
Proven Reserves
Russia
LARGEST
80
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
Russia
NET EXPORTER
Production
10.8M b/d
Consumption
3.7M b/d
+7.1M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
Laos
$5.3B
Exports
$5.3B
Imports
$6.7B
Trade Balance
$-1.4B
Trade Deficit
Russia
$476.4B
Exports
$476.4B
Imports
$382.4B
Trade Balance
+$94.0B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Laos
supply
Russia
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
Russia
consumption
Laos
supply
Beer
litres / person / yr
Russia
consumption
Laos
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
Russia
consumption
Laos
supply
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Russia
consumption
Laos
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
Russia
Laos
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
Russia
192
Gold
164
Silver
184
Bronze
540
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 422
❄ Winter: 118
Laos
No Olympic medal data
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Laos
Russia
Age Demographics
Median Age
Russia
39.2
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Laos
25.2
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
Russia is 14.0 years older (median) than Laos
Youth Population
Laos has the highest youth population at 58.3% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Russia has the highest elderly population at 22% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
Laos
|
Russia
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations | — |
119
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year | — |
24.4M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
0
|
32
|
| UNESCO Heritage Sites inscribed sites |
4
|
32
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation, UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
Laos
|
Russia
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $3 | $8 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $12 | $35 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $250 | $600 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $150 | $400 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $35 | $85 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $25 | $12 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $0 | $25 |
Health
Healthcare spending, capacity and outcomes. Sources: World Bank / WHO — the year tag shows each figure’s vintage; “—” means the country doesn’t report that metric.
Health spending / person
Russia
Laos
Physicians per 1,000
Russia
Laos
Hospital beds per 1,000
Russia
Laos
Diabetes prevalence
Laos
Russia
Obesity prevalence
Russia
Laos
Suicide rate per 100k
Russia
Laos
Want the long view?
GDP, population, reserves & trade for Laos vs Russia — charted over the decades.
Basic Information
| Metric | Laos | Russia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 7873046 | 143513328 |
| Area (sq km) | 236800 | 17098246 |
| Capital | Vientiane | Moscow |
| Official Language | Lao | Russian |
| Currency | Lao Kip (LAK) | Russian Ruble (RUB) |
| Government Type | One-party socialist republic | Federal semi-presidential republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | Laos | Russia |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 29,100 | 900,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 100,000 | 2,000,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 129,100 | 3,350,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $30,000,000 | $154,000,000,000 |
| Tanks | 130 | 12,420 |
| Armored Vehicles | 405 | 30,122 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 10 | 6,574 |
| Towed Artillery | 150 | 7,571 |
| Rocket Projectors | 32 | 3,391 |
Economy
| Metric | Laos | Russia |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $18,302,970,219 | $2,561,310,169,359 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $2,325 | $17,847 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 1.2% | 2.1% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 34.7 | 33.0 |
| Currency | Lao Kip (LAK) | Russian Ruble (RUB) |
| Loading current exchange rates… | ||
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Russia is 72.2 times larger in area than Laos.
That's a massive difference!
Russia has 18.2 times more people than Laos.
Russia has the highest GDP per capita at $17,847 among the selected countries.
Russia has the largest economy with a GDP of
$2.56 trillion.
Russia has the largest active military personnel with 900,000 troops.
Russia has the largest air force with 4,173 aircraft.
Russia has the largest navy with 605 vessels.
Russia Fact: Russia spans 11 time zones, more than any other country in the world.
Laos vs Russia: Key Comparisons
Economy: Russia's GDP of $2.6T is 139.9x larger than Laos's $18B — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Russia's population of 144M is 18.2x larger than Laos's 8M.
Area: Russia covers 17,098,246 km², making it 72.2x larger than Laos.
Military: Russia fields 900Thousand active troops vs Laos's 29Thousand.
Trade: Laos has a trade deficit of $1B while Russia runs a trade surplus of $94B.
Life Expectancy: Russia leads with a life expectancy of 73 years vs Laos's 69.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated August 2026.
Sources & methodology