Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Kiribati instead of Laos, you would:
Health
see 3.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Kiribati spends $401 as of 2023.
live 2.6 years less
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Kiribati, that number is 67 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
be 5.0 times more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Kiribati, that number is 45.6% of people as of 2024.
be 3.8 times more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Kiribati, it is 17.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 63.3% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Laos, 15.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Kiribati, however, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.
make 10.1% more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Kiribati, the GDP per capita is $2,559 as of 2025.
Life
be 28.6% 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 Kiribati, 80.0 women do as of 2023.
be 30.4% more likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2023. In Kiribati, it is 98.6% as of 2020.
have 20.9% more children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Kiribati, there are 25.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 42.6% more 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 Kiribati, on the other hand, 38.8 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 36.4% more likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Kiribati, about 89.4% do as of 2024.
be 17.5% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Laos, approximately 96% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Kiribati, that number is 79% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 64% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 13.3 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Kiribati spends 16.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 8.2 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Kiribati, that number is 10.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 62.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Kiribati, they kill 6.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 98.9% less home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Kiribati has 0.0 as of 2024.
Environment
be 29.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Kiribati, it causes 49.0 as of 2019.
emit 82.4% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Kiribati emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Laos vs. Kiribati
Kiribati: At a glance
How big is Kiribati compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.