Quality of life comparison
If you lived in China instead of Laos, you would:
Health
live 8.8 years longer
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In China, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 12.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). China spends $1,487 as of 2023.
have 9.4 times more doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. China has 31.1 as of 2022.
have 55.8% more access to essential health services
Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. China scores 81 as of 2021.
be 95.4% more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In China, it is 8.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 6.0 times more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in China, the GDP per capita is $13,862 as of 2025.
be 3.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In China, that number is 4.6% as of 2025.
Life
be 85.7% 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 China, 16.0 women do as of 2023.
be 27.9% more likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2023. In China, it is 96.7% as of 2020.
be 84.9% 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 China, on the other hand, 4.1 children do as of 2024.
have 67.7% fewer children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In China, there are 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 39.7% more likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In China, about 91.6% do as of 2025.
Expenditures
spend 3.2 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. China spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 4.5 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In China, that number is 5.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 17.3 times more home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. China has 47.2 as of 2024.
use 3.9 times more electricity
Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. China uses 6,524 kWh as of 2023.
live with 8.7 times more strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. China withdraws 42% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 2.8 times more CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. China emits 9.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Laos vs. China
China: At a glance
How big is China compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.