UCLA Center for East Asian Studies

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Laos and the United States Today

Laos	United States
Population
5,497,459(July 2000 est.)	275,562,673 (July 2000 est.)
annual growth rate: 5.2% (1999 est.)	annual growth rate: 4.1% (1999 est.)
life exp. years (2000 est.)	77.12 years (2000 est.)
infant mortality: 94.8/1,000 (2000 est.)	6.82/1,000 (2000 est.)
birth rate 38.29/1,000 (2000 est.)	14.2/1,000 (2000 est.)
minorities %(1999)	16.6% (1999)
urban population: 22% (2000)	76% (2000)
Density(people/km sq)  (2000)	31 (2000)
% < age 15      43% (2000)	21.25% (2000)
% > age 65      3% (2000)	12.64% (2000)

                                                                           

Total Area
236,800 sq km	9,629,091 sq km
cultivated   3%	19%
forest    54%	30%
pasture   3%	25%

 

Health Care
1 physician/ people(1999)	1 physician/404 people (1999)
1 hospital bed/ people (1999)	1 hospital bed/198 people(1999)

                                                                                     

Indicators of Living Standards
per capita GDP: $1,300(1999 est.)	per capita GDP: $33,900 (1999 est.)
1 telephone/181.5people	1 telephone/1.3 people
1 television/103.9people	1 television/1.2 people
cars:	cars: 143 million
literacy: 57%	literacy: 97%
daily newspapers sold: 4/1000 people (1999)	daily newspapers sold: 255/1000 people (1999)
Motor vehicles per 1000 people	767

Economic Measures
GDP $7 billion (1999 est.)	U.S. GDP: $9.255 trillion (1999 est.)
1990-99  average annual growth rate:	1990-99 average annual growth rate: 3.3%
defense spending as a share of GDP 4.3%	defense spending share of GDP: 3.1%
defense share of gov't   spending: 18.8%	defense share of gov't spending: 15.9%

Source: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/ http://www.worldbank.org/data/countrydata/countrydata.html http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/english/htmain.htm
Dori, John. U.S. And Asian Statistical Handbook 1999-2000. The Heritage Foundation

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Last Updated on 7/26/01