Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Sri Lanka instead of Laos, you would:
Health
live 8.5 years longer
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Sri Lanka, that number is 78 years (74 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 4.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Sri Lanka spends $507 as of 2023.
have 3.4 times more doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Sri Lanka has 11.4 as of 2023.
have 28.8% more access to essential health services
Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Sri Lanka scores 67 as of 2021.
be 22.2% more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sri Lanka, that number is 11.2% of people as of 2024.
be 3.2 times more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sri Lanka, it is 14.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 2.2 times more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Sri Lanka, the GDP per capita is $5,002 as of 2025.
be 3.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sri Lanka, that number is 4.0% as of 2025.
Life
be 83.9% 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 Sri Lanka, 18.0 women do as of 2023.
be 22.6% more likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2023. In Sri Lanka, it is 92.7% as of 2024.
be 80.9% 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 Sri Lanka, on the other hand, 5.2 children do as of 2024.
have 51.7% fewer children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Sri Lanka, there are 10.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 16.8% less likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Sri Lanka, about 54.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 48.8% more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Sri Lanka spends 1.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.8 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Sri Lanka, that number is 3.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 29.9% less likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Sri Lanka, they kill 11.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.1 times more home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Sri Lanka has 8.5 as of 2024.
live with 19.0 times more strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sri Lanka withdraws 91% as of 2022.
use 61.3% less electricity
Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Sri Lanka uses 644 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 46.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Sri Lanka, it causes 37.0 as of 2019.
emit 68.4% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Sri Lanka emits 1.1 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. Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: At a glance
How big is Sri Lanka compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.