Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Papua New Guinea instead of Laos, you would:
Health
be 60.3% less likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, it is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.8 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Laos, 0.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 1.5% of people as of 2024.
live 3.0 years less
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.
be 3.0 times more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 28.0% of people as of 2024.
have 81.6% fewer doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Papua New Guinea has 0.6 as of 2023.
have 42.3% less access to essential health services
Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Papua New Guinea scores 30 as of 2021.
Economy
make 29.9% more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Papua New Guinea, the GDP per capita is $3,020 as of 2025.
be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.6% as of 2025.
Life
be 15.0% more likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2023. In Papua New Guinea, it is 87.0% as of 2022.
have 16.1% more children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, there are 24.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 68.8% 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 Papua New Guinea, 189.0 women do as of 2023.
be 15.1% 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 Papua New Guinea, on the other hand, 31.3 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 78.8% less likely to have access to electricity
In Laos, approximately 96% of people have electricity access (99% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 20% of people on average (65% in urban areas, and 13% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 71.3% less likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, about 18.8% do as of 2024.
be 44.4% 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 Papua New Guinea, that number is 53% of people on average (84% in urban areas, and 48% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 36.6% less on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Papua New Guinea spends 0.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.2 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
live with 97.3% less strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Papua New Guinea withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 91.5% less home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Papua New Guinea has 0.2 as of 2024.
Environment
be 44.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Papua New Guinea, it causes 38.0 as of 2019.
emit 84.5% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Papua New Guinea emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Laos vs. Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: At a glance
How big is Papua New Guinea compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.