Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Kuwait instead of Laos, you would:
Health
live 15.4 years longer
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Kuwait, that number is 85 years (84 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.
see 20.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Kuwait spends $2,567 as of 2023.
have 6.9 times more doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Kuwait has 22.7 as of 2020.
have 50.0% more access to essential health services
Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Kuwait scores 78 as of 2021.
be 49.6% less likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Kuwait, it is 2.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 4.4 times more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Kuwait, that number is 40.4% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 13.9 times more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Kuwait, the GDP per capita is $32,312 as of 2025.
be 83.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Kuwait, that number is 2.2% as of 2025.
Life
be 92.9% 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 Kuwait, 8.0 women do as of 2023.
be 27.5% more likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2023. In Kuwait, it is 96.5% as of 2020.
be 74.3% 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 Kuwait, on the other hand, 7.0 children do as of 2024.
have 52.1% fewer children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Kuwait, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 52.5% more likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Kuwait, about 100.0% do as of 2025.
Expenditures
spend 5.2 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Kuwait spends 6.4% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 3.7 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Kuwait, that number is 5.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 43.9% less likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Kuwait, they kill 9.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 9.9 times more electricity
Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Kuwait uses 16,496 kWh as of 2023.
find 62.9% less home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Kuwait has 1.0 as of 2023.
live with 803.9 times more strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Kuwait withdraws 3850% as of 2022.
Environment
be 34.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Kuwait, it causes 45.0 as of 2019.
emit 7.1 times more CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Kuwait emits 23.7 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. Kuwait
Kuwait: At a glance
How big is Kuwait compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.