Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Kazakhstan, you would:
Health
be 56.5% less likely to be obese
In Kazakhstan, 21.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 68.6% less likely to die by suicide
Kazakhstan has a suicide rate of 14.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 5.3 years less
In Kazakhstan, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 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 91.6% less spent on your healthcare
Kazakhstan spends $1,460 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 91.2% fewer doctors per person
Kazakhstan has 37.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 35.0% less access to essential health services
Kazakhstan scores 80 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 75.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Kazakhstan, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 3.0 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Kazakhstan, 5.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 84.2% less money
Kazakhstan has a GDP per capita of $14,692 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
be 11.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Kazakhstan, approximately 10.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 3.7 times more likely to die during infancy
In Kazakhstan, approximately 7.4 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 29.8% less likely to have internet access
In Kazakhstan, approximately 93.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 74.7% less on education
Kazakhstan spends 4.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 64.7% less on healthcare
Kazakhstan spends 3.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 34.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In Kazakhstan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 86.2% less strain on fresh water
Kazakhstan withdraws 35% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
find 82.2% less home broadband
Kazakhstan has 15.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 67.6% less electricity
Kazakhstan uses 5,146 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 73.3% less CO2
Kazakhstan emits 12.6 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 (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Kazakhstan vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Kazakhstan? See an in-depth size comparison.