Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Hong Kong instead of Laos, you would:
Health
live 16.2 years longer
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Hong Kong, that number is 85 years (83 years for men, 88 years for women) as of 2024.
Economy
make 24.5 times more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Hong Kong, the GDP per capita is $56,983 as of 2025.
be 2.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Hong Kong, that number is 2.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 90.6% 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 Hong Kong, on the other hand, 2.5 children do as of 2022.
have 76.6% fewer children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Hong Kong, there are 4.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 46.0% more likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Hong Kong, about 95.8% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 3.1 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Hong Kong spends 3.8% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Infrastructure
find 14.8 times more home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Hong Kong has 40.3 as of 2024.
use 3.8 times more electricity
Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Hong Kong uses 6,359 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 37.3% more CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Hong Kong emits 4.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2023–2025), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Laos vs. Hong Kong
Hong Kong: At a glance
How big is Hong Kong compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.