Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Solomon Islands instead of Laos, you would:
Health
live 1.5 years longer
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Solomon Islands, that number is 71 years (69 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
see 24.5% more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Solomon Islands spends $153 as of 2023.
be 2.4 times more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Solomon Islands, that number is 21.8% of people as of 2024.
have 28.1% fewer doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Solomon Islands has 2.4 as of 2023.
be 4.3 times more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Solomon Islands, it is 19.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 20.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Solomon Islands, that number is 1.4% as of 2025.
make 10.3% less money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Solomon Islands, the GDP per capita is $2,086 as of 2025.
Life
be 39.7% 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 Solomon Islands, on the other hand, 16.4 children do as of 2024.
have 27.6% more children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Solomon Islands, there are 26.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 15.8% 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 Solomon Islands, that number is 81% of people on average (81% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 55.7% less likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Solomon Islands, about 29.0% do as of 2024.
be 25.3% 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 Solomon Islands, that number is 72% of people on average (91% in urban areas, and 65% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 6.7 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Solomon Islands spends 8.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 4.0 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Solomon Islands, that number is 5.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 31.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Solomon Islands, they kill 11.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 96.0% less home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Solomon Islands has 0.1 as of 2022.
Environment
be 17.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Solomon Islands, it causes 57.0 as of 2019.
emit 88.7% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Solomon Islands emits 0.4 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. Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands: At a glance
How big is Solomon Islands compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.