Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of France, you would:
Health
be 18.0% less likely to be obese
In France, 11.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 72.4% less likely to die by suicide
France has a suicide rate of 16.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 13.8 years less
In France, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 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 98.2% less spent on your healthcare
France spends $6,868 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 89.9% fewer doctors per person
France has 32.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 38.8% less access to essential health services
France scores 85 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 84.2% less likely to be unemployed
In France, 7.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
make 95.3% less money
France has a GDP per capita of $48,986 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.2 times more children
In France, there are approximately 9.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 16.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In France, approximately 7.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 8.0 times more likely to die during infancy
In France, approximately 3.4 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 26.0% less likely to have internet access
In France, approximately 88.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 76.9% less on education
France spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 88.5% less on healthcare
France spends 11.5% 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 France, 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
live with 77.6% less strain on fresh water
France withdraws 21% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
find 94.4% less home broadband
France has 48.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 74.2% less electricity
France uses 6,447 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 16.2% less CO2
France emits 4.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
be 6.9 times more likely to die from air pollution
In France, air pollution causes 10.0 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: France vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to France? See an in-depth size comparison.