Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Laos instead of California, you would:

Health

be 67.7% less likely to be obese

In California, 28.4% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 76.7% less likely to be unemployed

In California, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.

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be 28.2% more likely to live below the poverty line

In California, 11.7% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.

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make 97.2% less money

California has a GDP per capita of $84,028 as of 2024, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.

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Basic Needs

be 29.2% less likely to have internet access

In California, approximately 92.6% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: California vs. Laos

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Laos is 59.5% cheaper than California
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Size Comparison · See true size
California is about 1.7 times bigger than Laos.
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Moving from California to Laos · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Laos: At a glance

Laos is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 230,800 sq km. Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th century under King FA NGUM. For 300 years Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the communist Pathet Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. A gradual, limited return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1988. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997 and the WTO in 2013.
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How big is Laos compared to California? See an in-depth size comparison.

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