Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 82.0% less likely to be obese

In Canada, 29.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Laos, that number is 5.3% of people as of 2016.

live 15.6 years less

In Canada, the average life expectancy is 84 years (82 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Laos, that number is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 87.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Canada, 5.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2019. In Laos, that number is 0.7% as of 2017.

pay a 27.3% lower top tax rate

Canada has a top tax rate of 33.0% as of 2016. In Laos, the top tax rate is 24.0% as of 2016.

make 83.0% less money

Canada has a GDP per capita of $45,900 as of 2020, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $7,800 as of 2020.

be 94.7% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Canada, 9.4% live below the poverty line as of 2008. In Laos, however, that number is 18.3% as of 2018.

Life

have 2.1 times more children

In Canada, there are approximately 10.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

be 18.5 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Canada, approximately 10.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Laos, 185.0 women do as of 2017.

be 8.6 times more likely to die during infancy

In Canada, approximately 4.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Laos, on the other hand, 37.8 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 64.9% less likely to have internet access

In Canada, approximately 97.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Laos, about 34.0% do as of 2020.

be 10.5% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Canada, approximately 99% of people have improved drinking water access (99% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Laos, that number is 89% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 45.3% less on education

Canada spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2011. Laos spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2014.

spend 75.9% less on healthcare

Canada spends 10.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Laos, that number is 2.6% of GDP as of 2019.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Canada Revenue Agency.

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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