Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Marshall Islands instead of Laos, you would:
Health
see 7.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Marshall Islands spends $874 as of 2023.
have 13.5% more access to essential health services
Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Marshall Islands scores 59 as of 2021.
live 2.1 years less
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, that number is 67 years (65 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.
be 4.6 times more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, that number is 42.0% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 3.7 times more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Marshall Islands, the GDP per capita is $8,489 as of 2025.
Life
be 26.6% more likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2023. In Marshall Islands, it is 95.8% as of 2021.
be 16.5% 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 Marshall Islands, on the other hand, 22.7 children do as of 2024.
be 38.4% more 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 Marshall Islands, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 6.3 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Marshall Islands spends 7.7% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 10.1 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Marshall Islands, that number is 13.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 27.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Marshall Islands, they kill 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 13.6% less home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Marshall Islands has 2.4 as of 2022.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Laos vs. Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands: At a glance
How big is Marshall Islands compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.