Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Puerto Rico instead of Laos, you would:
Health
live 12.7 years longer
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, that number is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 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 Puerto Rico, that number is 42.4% of people as of 2024.
be 18.3% more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, it is 5.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 17.5 times more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Puerto Rico, the GDP per capita is $40,620 as of 2025.
be 5.0 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Puerto Rico, that number is 6.0% as of 2025.
Life
be 90.2% 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 Puerto Rico, 11.0 women do as of 2023.
be 22.2% more likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2023. In Puerto Rico, it is 92.4% as of 2021.
be 77.8% 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 Puerto Rico, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2022.
have 72.8% fewer children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, there are 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 33.1% more likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, about 87.3% do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 3.5 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Puerto Rico spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Safety
be 23.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, they kill 12.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 10.3 times more home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Puerto Rico has 28.0 as of 2024.
live with 4.1 times more strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Puerto Rico withdraws 20% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 43.9% more CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Puerto Rico emits 4.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021–2022), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Laos vs. Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: At a glance
How big is Puerto Rico compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.