Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Laos instead of Illinois, you would:

Health

live 8.6 years less

In Illinois, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In Laos, that number is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022.

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Economy

be 75.4% less likely to be unemployed

In Illinois, 4.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2023.

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make 88.1% less money

Illinois has a GDP per capita of $70,691 as of 2024, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $8,400 as of 2023.

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Basic Needs

be 30.8% less likely to have internet access

In Illinois, approximately 89.6% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Laos, about 62.0% do as of 2021.

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The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Compare further: Illinois vs. Laos

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Laos is 40.5% cheaper than Illinois
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Size Comparison · See true size
Illinois is about 1.6 times smaller than Laos.
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Laos: At a glance

Laos is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 230,800 sq km. Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th century under King FA NGUM. For 300 years Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the communist Pathet Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. A gradual, limited return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1988. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997 and the WTO in 2013.
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How big is Laos compared to Illinois? See an in-depth size comparison.

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