Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Korea instead of Laos, you would:
Health
live 14.4 years longer
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In South Korea, that number is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024.
see 41.2 times more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Korea spends $5,081 as of 2024.
have 7.9 times more doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Korea has 26.1 as of 2022.
have 71.2% more access to essential health services
Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Korea scores 89 as of 2021.
be 6.0 times more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Korea, it is 27.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 15.6 times more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in South Korea, the GDP per capita is $36,227 as of 2025.
be 2.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Korea, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.
Life
be 96.4% 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 South Korea, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
be 91.5% 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 South Korea, on the other hand, 2.3 children do as of 2024.
have 77.5% fewer children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Korea, there are 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 49.3% more likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Korea, about 97.9% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 4.4 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Korea spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 6.5 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Korea, that number is 8.7% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 57.9% less likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Korea, they kill 6.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 17.6 times more home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. South Korea has 47.8 as of 2024.
use 6.8 times more electricity
Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Korea uses 11,350 kWh as of 2024.
live with 17.8 times more strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Korea withdraws 85% as of 2022.
Environment
be 72.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Korea, it causes 19.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.4 times more CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Laos vs. South Korea
South Korea: At a glance
How big is South Korea compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.