Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Laos, you would:
Health
live 11.8 years longer
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 81 years (78 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.
see 15.6 times more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.
have 8.1 times more doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Costa Rica has 26.9 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. Costa Rica scores 81 as of 2021.
be 3.6 times more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.
be 76.0% more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 8.6 times more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.
be 5.7 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.
be 14.0% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Laos, 15.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Costa Rica, however, that number is 17.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 78.6% 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 Costa Rica, 24.0 women do as of 2023.
be 29.6% more likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2023. In Costa Rica, it is 98.0% as of 2021.
be 66.5% 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 Costa Rica, on the other hand, 9.1 children do as of 2024.
have 52.3% fewer children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Costa Rica, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 32.9% more likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Costa Rica, about 87.2% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 4.3 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Costa Rica spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 5.2 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 8.6 times more home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
use 37.1% more electricity
Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh as of 2024.
live with 22.8% more strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.
Environment
be 78.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 51.3% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Costa Rica emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Laos vs. Costa Rica
Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.