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

Health

live 2.6 years longer

In Kiribati, the average life expectancy is 67 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 79.9% less likely to be obese

In Kiribati, 45.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.

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be 73.8% less likely to die by suicide

Kiribati has a suicide rate of 17.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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see 69.3% less spent on your healthcare

Kiribati spends $401 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.

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Economy

be 2.7 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Kiribati, 5.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.

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Life

be 29.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Kiribati, approximately 38.8 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.

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be 40.0% more likely to die during childbirth

In Kiribati, 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.

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be 23.3% less likely to be literate

In Kiribati, the literacy rate is 98.6% as of 2020. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.

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have 17.3% fewer children

In Kiribati, there are approximately 25.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 21.2% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Kiribati, approximately 79% of people have access to drinking water (90% in urban areas, and 64% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 96% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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be 26.7% less likely to have internet access

In Kiribati, approximately 89.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 92.5% less on education

Kiribati spends 16.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 87.9% less on healthcare

Kiribati spends 10.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 2.6 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Kiribati, road accidents kill 6.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 90.7 times more home broadband

Kiribati has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.

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Environment

be 40.8% more likely to die from air pollution

In Kiribati, air pollution causes 49.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.

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emit 5.7 times more CO2

Kiribati emits 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

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 Kiribati? See an in-depth size comparison.

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