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

Health

live 10.6 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Albania, that number is 80 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 11.9 times more spent on your healthcare

Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Albania spends $1,465 as of 2023.

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have 5.7 times more doctors per person

Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Albania has 18.8 as of 2020.

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have 23.1% more access to essential health services

Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Albania scores 64 as of 2021.

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be 40.0% less likely to die by suicide

Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Albania, it is 2.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 2.6 times more likely to be obese

In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Albania, that number is 24.1% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

make 5.6 times more money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Albania, the GDP per capita is $12,998 as of 2025.

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be 9.2 times more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Albania, that number is 10.9% as of 2025.

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be 31.3% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Laos, 15.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Albania, however, that number is 19.7% as of 2022.

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Life

be 93.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In Laos, approximately 112.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Albania, 7.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 29.1% more likely to be literate

In Laos, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2023. In Albania, it is 97.7% as of 2023.

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be 69.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Laos, approximately 27.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Albania, on the other hand, 8.3 children do as of 2024.

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have 51.6% fewer children

In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Albania, there are 10.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 30.9% more likely to have internet access

In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Albania, about 85.9% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 2.5 times more on education

Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Albania spends 3.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 5.3 times more on healthcare

Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Albania, that number is 7.0% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 34.1% less likely to die in a road accident

In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Albania, they kill 10.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 9.1 times more home broadband

Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Albania has 24.9 as of 2024.

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use 73.7% more electricity

Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Albania uses 2,892 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

be 14.5% less likely to die from air pollution

In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Albania, it causes 59.0 as of 2019.

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emit 46.6% less CO2

Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Albania emits 1.8 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Albania: At a glance

Albania is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 27,398 sq km. Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939, and occupied by Germany in 1943. Communist partisans took over the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960), and then with China (to 1978). In the early 1990s, Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, dilapidated infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and combative political opponents. Albania has made progress in its democratic development since first holding multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain. International observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997; however, each of Albania's post-communist elections have been marred by claims of electoral fraud. The 2009 general elections resulted in a coalition government, the first such in the country's history. In 2013, general elections achieved a peaceful transition of power and a second successive coalition government. Albania joined NATO in April 2009 and is a potential candidate for EU accession. Although Albania's economy continues to grow, it has slowed, and the country is still one of the poorest in Europe. A large informal economy and an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure remain obstacles.
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How big is Albania compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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