Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Ireland, you would:
Health
be 67.1% less likely to be obese
In Ireland, 27.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 46.4% less likely to die by suicide
Ireland has a suicide rate of 8.6 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 Ireland, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 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 98.6% less spent on your healthcare
Ireland spends $8,772 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 91.5% fewer doctors per person
Ireland has 38.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 37.3% less access to essential health services
Ireland scores 83 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 74.3% less likely to be unemployed
In Ireland, 4.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
make 98.2% less money
Ireland has a GDP per capita of $131,592 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.1 times more children
In Ireland, there are approximately 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 28.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Ireland, approximately 4.0 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 Ireland, 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 32.5% less likely to have internet access
In Ireland, approximately 97.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 57.6% less on education
Ireland spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 80.6% less on healthcare
Ireland spends 6.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 5.9 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Ireland, road accidents kill 2.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 40.5% less strain on fresh water
Ireland withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
find 91.6% less home broadband
Ireland has 32.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 73.6% less electricity
Ireland uses 6,298 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 44.5% less CO2
Ireland emits 6.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
be 5.3 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Ireland, air pollution causes 13.0 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: Ireland vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Ireland? See an in-depth size comparison.