Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Cambodia, you would:
Health
have 56.9% more doctors per person
Cambodia has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
live 1.6 years less
In Cambodia, the average life expectancy is 71 years (68 years for men, 73 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 86.6% more likely to be obese
In Cambodia, 4.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
see 64.8% less spent on your healthcare
Cambodia spends $350 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 10.3% less access to essential health services
Cambodia scores 58 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 4.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Cambodia, 0.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
make 19.1% less money
Cambodia has a GDP per capita of $2,872 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
be 18.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Cambodia, approximately 137.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 65.9% more likely to die during infancy
In Cambodia, approximately 16.4 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 15.7% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Cambodia, approximately 83% of people have access to drinking water (94% in urban areas, and 79% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 96% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 43.6% less on education
Cambodia spends 2.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 71.2% less on healthcare
Cambodia spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 12.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Cambodia, road accidents kill 18.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 78.5% more electricity
Cambodia uses 932 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
find 34.5% less home broadband
Cambodia has 4.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
live with 4.6 times more strain on fresh water
Cambodia withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
Environment
be 15.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Cambodia, air pollution causes 60.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.0 times more CO2
Cambodia emits 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Cambodia vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Cambodia? See an in-depth size comparison.