Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Tajikistan instead of Laos, you would:
Health
live 2.7 years longer
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Tajikistan, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
see 3.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Tajikistan spends $364 as of 2023.
have 5.6 times more doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Tajikistan has 18.7 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. Tajikistan scores 67 as of 2021.
be 46.9% less likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Tajikistan, it is 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.5 times more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Tajikistan, that number is 23.1% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 5.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Tajikistan, that number is 6.9% as of 2025.
be 32.0% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Laos, 15.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Tajikistan, however, that number is 19.8% as of 2024.
make 29.6% less money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Tajikistan, the GDP per capita is $1,637 as of 2025.
Life
be 87.5% 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 Tajikistan, 14.0 women do as of 2023.
be 13.6% 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 Tajikistan, on the other hand, 23.5 children do as of 2024.
have 21.0% more children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Tajikistan, there are 25.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 14.9% less likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Tajikistan, about 55.8% 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. Tajikistan spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 5.6 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Tajikistan, that number is 7.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 15.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Tajikistan, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 64.0% less home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Tajikistan has 1.0 as of 2023.
live with 14.6 times more strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Tajikistan withdraws 70% as of 2022.
use 10.0% less electricity
Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Tajikistan uses 1,497 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 72.5% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Tajikistan emits 0.9 tonnes as of 2024.
be 2.3 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Tajikistan, it causes 159.0 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. Tajikistan
Tajikistan: At a glance
How big is Tajikistan compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.