Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Colombia, you would:
Health
be 63.1% less likely to be obese
In Colombia, 24.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
live 8.7 years less
In Colombia, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 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 93.0% less spent on your healthcare
Colombia spends $1,758 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 86.9% fewer doctors per person
Colombia has 25.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 35.0% less access to essential health services
Colombia scores 80 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 85.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Colombia, 8.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 52.8% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Colombia, 31.8% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 72.8% less money
Colombia has a GDP per capita of $8,562 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 58.0% more children
In Colombia, there are approximately 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 89.8% more likely to die during childbirth
In Colombia, approximately 59.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 20.7% less likely to be literate
In Colombia, the literacy rate is 95.3% as of 2024. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
be 2.6 times more likely to die during infancy
In Colombia, approximately 10.5 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 17.3% less likely to have internet access
In Colombia, approximately 79.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 76.6% less on education
Colombia spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 83.7% less on healthcare
Colombia spends 8.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 84.2% less home broadband
Colombia has 17.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
live with 32.0% more strain on fresh water
Colombia withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
Environment
be 2.9 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Colombia, air pollution causes 24.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 86.1% more CO2
Colombia emits 1.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Colombia vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Colombia? See an in-depth size comparison.