Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of India, you would:
Health
be 63.5% less likely to die by suicide
India has a suicide rate of 12.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 3.0 years less
In India, the average life expectancy is 72 years (71 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
be 14.6% more likely to be obese
In India, 8.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
see 64.4% less spent on your healthcare
India spends $346 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 54.2% fewer doctors per person
India has 7.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 17.5% less access to essential health services
India scores 63 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 71.8% less likely to be unemployed
In India, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
make 14.0% less money
India has a GDP per capita of $2,702 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 31.0% more children
In India, there are approximately 16.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 40.0% more likely to die during childbirth
In India, approximately 80.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 16.7% more likely to die during infancy
In India, approximately 23.3 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.
Expenditures
spend 70.0% less on education
India spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 60.2% less on healthcare
India spends 3.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
live with 92.8% less strain on fresh water
India withdraws 66% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
use 40.9% more electricity
India uses 1,182 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
find 13.7% less home broadband
India has 3.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
Environment
be 16.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In India, air pollution causes 83.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 54.4% more CO2
India emits 2.2 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: India vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to India? See an in-depth size comparison.