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

Health

live 5.3 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Kazakhstan, that number is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 11.8 times more spent on your healthcare

Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Kazakhstan spends $1,460 as of 2023.

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have 11.3 times more doctors per person

Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Kazakhstan has 37.5 as of 2023.

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have 53.8% more access to essential health services

Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Kazakhstan scores 80 as of 2021.

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be 2.3 times more likely to be obese

In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Kazakhstan, that number is 21.1% of people as of 2024.

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be 3.2 times more likely to die by suicide

Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Kazakhstan, it is 14.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 66.7% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Laos, 15.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Kazakhstan, however, that number is 5.0% as of 2024.

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make 6.3 times more money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Kazakhstan, the GDP per capita is $14,692 as of 2025.

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be 4.0 times more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Kazakhstan, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.

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Life

be 91.1% 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 Kazakhstan, 10.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 72.8% 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 Kazakhstan, on the other hand, 7.4 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 42.4% more likely to have internet access

In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Kazakhstan, about 93.4% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 4.0 times more on education

Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Kazakhstan spends 4.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 2.8 times more on healthcare

Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Kazakhstan, that number is 3.8% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 25.6% less likely to die in a road accident

In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Kazakhstan, they kill 12.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 5.6 times more home broadband

Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Kazakhstan has 15.3 as of 2024.

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use 3.1 times more electricity

Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Kazakhstan uses 5,146 kWh as of 2023.

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live with 7.2 times more strain on fresh water

Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Kazakhstan withdraws 35% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 3.8 times more CO2

Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Kazakhstan emits 12.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Kazakhstan: At a glance

Kazakhstan is a sovereign country in Central Asia, with a total land area of approximately 2,699,700 sq km. Ethnic Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes who migrated to the region by the 13th century, were rarely united as a single nation. The area was conquered by Russia in the 18th century, and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936. During the 1950s and 1960s agricultural "Virgin Lands" program, Soviet citizens were encouraged to help cultivate Kazakhstan's northern pastures. This influx of immigrants (mostly Russians, but also some other deported nationalities) skewed the ethnic mixture and enabled non-ethnic Kazakhs to outnumber natives. Non-Muslim ethnic minorities departed Kazakhstan in large numbers from the mid-1990s through the mid-2000s and a national program has repatriated about a million ethnic Kazakhs back to Kazakhstan. These trends have allowed Kazakhs to become the titular majority again. This dramatic demographic shift has also undermined the previous religious diversity and made the country more than 70 percent Muslim. Kazakhstan's economy is larger than those of all the other Central Asian states largely due to the country's vast natural resources. Current issues include: developing a cohesive national identity; managing Islamic revivalism; expanding the development of the country's vast energy resources and exporting them to world markets; diversifying the economy outside the oil, gas, and mining sectors; enhancing Kazakhstan's economic competitiveness; developing a multiparty parliament and advancing political and social reform; and strengthening relations with neighboring states and other foreign powers.
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How big is Kazakhstan compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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