Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Iraq, you would:
Health
be 76.9% less likely to be obese
In Iraq, 39.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
live 3.2 years less
In Iraq, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 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.
see 85.4% less spent on your healthcare
Iraq spends $843 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 67.6% fewer doctors per person
Iraq has 10.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 11.9% less access to essential health services
Iraq scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
be 54.2% more likely to die by suicide
Iraq has a suicide rate of 3.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 92.3% less likely to be unemployed
In Iraq, 15.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 14.3% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Iraq, 17.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 57.0% less money
Iraq has a GDP per capita of $5,410 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
be 69.7% more likely to die during childbirth
In Iraq, approximately 66.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 10.0% less likely to be literate
In Iraq, the literacy rate is 84.1% as of 2021. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
be 35.3% more likely to die during infancy
In Iraq, approximately 20.1 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.
have 18.2% fewer children
In Iraq, there are approximately 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 19.5% less likely to have internet access
In Iraq, approximately 81.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 75.9% less on healthcare
Iraq spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 23.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In Iraq, road accidents kill 21.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 92.0% less strain on fresh water
Iraq withdraws 60% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
use 20.9% more electricity
Iraq uses 1,377 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
find 84.6% less home broadband
Iraq has 17.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
Environment
be 20.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Iraq, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 35.3% less CO2
Iraq emits 5.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Iraq vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Iraq? See an in-depth size comparison.