Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Sweden instead of Laos, you would:
Health
live 14.8 years longer
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Sweden, that number is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024.
see 63.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Sweden spends $7,770 as of 2024.
have 13.3 times more doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Sweden has 44.1 as of 2021.
have 63.5% more access to essential health services
Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Sweden scores 85 as of 2021.
be 90.7% more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sweden, that number is 17.5% of people as of 2024.
be 3.0 times more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sweden, it is 13.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 27.2 times more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Sweden, the GDP per capita is $63,133 as of 2025.
be 7.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sweden, that number is 8.7% 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 Sweden, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
be 92.6% 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 Sweden, on the other hand, 2.0 children do as of 2024.
have 55.6% fewer children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Sweden, there are 9.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 46.0% more likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Sweden, about 95.8% do as of 2025.
Expenditures
spend 6.0 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Sweden spends 7.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 8.4 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Sweden, that number is 11.2% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 87.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Sweden, they kill 2.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 14.9 times more home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Sweden has 40.6 as of 2024.
live with 25.3% less strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sweden withdraws 4% as of 2022.
use 7.3 times more electricity
Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Sweden uses 12,226 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 88.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Sweden, it causes 8.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Laos vs. Sweden
Sweden: At a glance
How big is Sweden compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.