Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Bangladesh instead of Laos, you would:
Health
live 5.7 years longer
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Bangladesh, that number is 75 years (73 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.
be 37.4% less likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bangladesh, that number is 5.8% of people as of 2024.
see 61.1% more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bangladesh spends $199 as of 2023.
have 2.2 times more doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Bangladesh has 7.2 as of 2023.
be 38.6% less likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bangladesh, it is 2.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 11.7% more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Bangladesh, the GDP per capita is $2,597 as of 2025.
be 3.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bangladesh, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
be 24.7% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Laos, 15.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Bangladesh, however, that number is 18.7% as of 2022.
Life
be 10.3% 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 Bangladesh, on the other hand, 24.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 18.6% less likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Bangladesh, about 53.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 65.0% more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Bangladesh spends 2.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 63.2% more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Bangladesh, that number is 2.2% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 13.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bangladesh, they kill 18.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.0 times more home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Bangladesh has 8.1 as of 2024.
live with 19.4% more strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bangladesh withdraws 6% as of 2022.
use 63.8% less electricity
Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Bangladesh uses 603 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 78.5% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bangladesh emits 0.7 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Laos vs. Bangladesh
Bangladesh: At a glance
How big is Bangladesh compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.