Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Canada, you would:
Health
be 64.7% less likely to be obese
In Canada, 26.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 51.5% less likely to die by suicide
Canada has a suicide rate of 9.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 12.9 years less
In Canada, the average life expectancy is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 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 98.4% less spent on your healthcare
Canada spends $7,646 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 88.3% fewer doctors per person
Canada has 28.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 42.9% less access to essential health services
Canada scores 91 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 82.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Canada, 6.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
make 95.8% less money
Canada has a GDP per capita of $55,698 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.4 times more children
In Canada, there are approximately 8.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 9.3 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Canada, approximately 12.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 5.8 times more likely to die during infancy
In Canada, approximately 4.7 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 30.5% less likely to have internet access
In Canada, approximately 94.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 74.6% less on education
Canada spends 4.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 88.2% less on healthcare
Canada spends 11.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 3.5 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Canada, road accidents kill 4.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 93.6% less home broadband
Canada has 42.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
live with 28.8% more strain on fresh water
Canada withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
use 88.2% less electricity
Canada uses 14,093 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 76.1% less CO2
Canada emits 14.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
be 8.6 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Canada, air pollution causes 8.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Canada vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Canada? See an in-depth size comparison.