Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
be 29.8% less likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
live 4.0 years less
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
see 81.8% less spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 40.1% fewer doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 13.3% less access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 63.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 21.0% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 48.3% less money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
be 16.5% more likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
have 67.0% more children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.4 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Bhutan, approximately 47.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 98.5% more likely to die during infancy
In Bhutan, approximately 13.7 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 28.1% less likely to have internet access
In Bhutan, approximately 91.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 79.0% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 69.9% less on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 34.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 3.4 times more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
Environment
be 21.1% more likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 66.7% more CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.