Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Pakistan instead of Laos, you would:
Health
see 23.4% more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Pakistan spends $152 as of 2023.
have 3.5 times more doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Pakistan has 11.6 as of 2021.
live 1.4 years less
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Pakistan, that number is 68 years (65 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.7 times more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Pakistan, that number is 24.5% of people as of 2024.
have 13.5% less access to essential health services
Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Pakistan scores 45 as of 2021.
be 23.1% more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Pakistan, it is 5.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 4.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Pakistan, that number is 5.4% as of 2025.
be 92.7% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Laos, 15.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Pakistan, however, that number is 28.9% as of 2024.
make 31.4% less money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Pakistan, the GDP per capita is $1,596 as of 2025.
Life
have 31.0% more children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Pakistan, there are 27.4 babies per 1,000 people 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 Pakistan, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 22.2% less likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2023. In Pakistan, it is 58.9% as of 2021.
be 77.2% 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 Pakistan, on the other hand, 48.2 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 12.7% less likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Pakistan, about 57.2% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 58.5% more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Pakistan spends 1.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 89.5% more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Pakistan, that number is 2.5% 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 Pakistan, they kill 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 46.0% less home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Pakistan has 1.5 as of 2024.
live with 23.0 times more strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Pakistan withdraws 110% as of 2022.
use 68.9% less electricity
Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Pakistan uses 518 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 75.8% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Pakistan emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.
be 52.2% more likely to die from air pollution
In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Pakistan, it causes 105.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Laos vs. Pakistan
Pakistan: At a glance
How big is Pakistan compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.