Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Bangladesh, you would:
Health
live 5.7 years less
In Bangladesh, the average life expectancy is 75 years (73 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
be 59.7% more likely to be obese
In Bangladesh, 5.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
see 37.9% less spent on your healthcare
Bangladesh spends $199 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 54.2% fewer doctors per person
Bangladesh has 7.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
be 63.0% more likely to die by suicide
Bangladesh has a suicide rate of 2.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 68.5% less likely to be unemployed
In Bangladesh, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 19.8% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Bangladesh, 18.7% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 10.5% less money
Bangladesh has a GDP per capita of $2,597 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
be 11.5% more likely to die during infancy
In Bangladesh, approximately 24.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Laos, on the other hand, 27.2 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 22.8% more likely to have internet access
In Bangladesh, approximately 53.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 39.4% less on education
Bangladesh spends 2.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 38.7% less on healthcare
Bangladesh spends 2.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 11.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bangladesh, road accidents kill 18.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 16.3% less strain on fresh water
Bangladesh withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
use 2.8 times more electricity
Bangladesh uses 603 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
find 66.4% less home broadband
Bangladesh has 8.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
Environment
emit 4.7 times more CO2
Bangladesh emits 0.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bangladesh vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Bangladesh? See an in-depth size comparison.