Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Hong Kong, you would:
Health
live 16.2 years less
In Hong Kong, the average life expectancy is 85 years (83 years for men, 88 years for women) as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
Economy
be 57.5% less likely to be unemployed
In Hong Kong, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
make 95.9% less money
Hong Kong has a GDP per capita of $56,983 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 4.3 times more children
In Hong Kong, there are approximately 4.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 10.7 times more likely to die during infancy
In Hong Kong, approximately 2.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Laos, on the other hand, 27.2 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 31.5% less likely to have internet access
In Hong Kong, approximately 95.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 67.7% less on education
Hong Kong spends 3.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 93.2% less home broadband
Hong Kong has 40.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 73.8% less electricity
Hong Kong uses 6,359 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 27.2% less CO2
Hong Kong emits 4.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2023–2025), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Hong Kong vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Hong Kong? See an in-depth size comparison.