Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Denmark, you would:
Health
be 35.9% less likely to be obese
In Denmark, 14.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 56.2% less likely to die by suicide
Denmark has a suicide rate of 10.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 13.0 years less
In Denmark, 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 98.3% less spent on your healthcare
Denmark spends $7,262 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 92.6% fewer doctors per person
Denmark has 45.0 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 36.6% less access to essential health services
Denmark scores 82 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 78.5% less likely to be unemployed
In Denmark, 5.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 21.0% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Denmark, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 97.0% less money
Denmark has a GDP per capita of $76,970 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.2 times more children
In Denmark, there are approximately 9.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 28.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Denmark, approximately 4.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 7.8 times more likely to die during infancy
In Denmark, approximately 3.5 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 34.3% less likely to have internet access
In Denmark, approximately 99.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 80.7% less on education
Denmark spends 6.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 85.8% less on healthcare
Denmark spends 9.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 7.1 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Denmark, road accidents kill 2.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 81.0% less strain on fresh water
Denmark withdraws 25% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
find 93.7% less home broadband
Denmark has 43.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 73.0% less electricity
Denmark uses 6,165 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 21.7% less CO2
Denmark emits 4.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
be 5.3 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Denmark, air pollution causes 13.0 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: Denmark vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Denmark? See an in-depth size comparison.