Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Timor-Leste instead of Laos, you would:

Health

be 60.7% less likely to be obese

In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Timor-Leste, that number is 3.6% of people as of 2024.

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see 3.7 times more spent on your healthcare

Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Timor-Leste spends $461 as of 2023.

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have 2.3 times more doctors per person

Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Timor-Leste has 7.5 as of 2020.

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be 22.3% less likely to die by suicide

Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Timor-Leste, it is 3.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 1.3 years less

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Timor-Leste, that number is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 33.6% more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Timor-Leste, that number is 1.6% as of 2025.

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make 42.3% less money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Timor-Leste, the GDP per capita is $1,341 as of 2025.

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Life

be 71.4% more 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 Timor-Leste, 192.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 27.2% more 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 Timor-Leste, on the other hand, 34.6 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 37.9% less likely to have internet access

In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Timor-Leste, about 40.8% do as of 2022.

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Expenditures

spend 4.3 times more on education

Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Timor-Leste spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 7.2 times more on healthcare

Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Timor-Leste, that number is 9.6% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 26.8% less likely to die in a road accident

In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Timor-Leste, they kill 12.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 99.6% less home broadband

Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Timor-Leste has 0.0 as of 2024.

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live with 5.9 times more strain on fresh water

Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Timor-Leste withdraws 28% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 11.6% less likely to die from air pollution

In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Timor-Leste, it causes 61.0 as of 2019.

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emit 85.1% less CO2

Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Timor-Leste emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: Laos vs. Timor-Leste

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Timor-Leste is 21.3% more expensive than Laos overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Laos is about 16 times bigger than Timor-Leste.
→
Moving from Laos to Timor-Leste · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Timor-Leste: At a glance

Timor-Leste is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 14,874 sq km. The Portuguese began to trade with the island of Timor in the early 16th century and colonized it in mid-century. Skirmishing with the Dutch in the region eventually resulted in an 1859 treaty in which Portugal ceded the western portion of the island. Imperial Japan occupied Portuguese Timor from 1942 to 1945, but Portugal resumed colonial authority after the Japanese defeat in World War II. East Timor declared itself independent from Portugal on 28 November 1975 and was invaded and occupied by Indonesian forces nine days later. It was incorporated into Indonesia in July 1976 as the province of Timor Timur (East Timor). An unsuccessful campaign of pacification followed over the next two decades, during which an estimated 100,000 to 250,000 individuals lost their lives. On 30 August 1999, in a UN-supervised popular referendum, an overwhelming majority of the people of Timor-Leste voted for independence from Indonesia. However, in the next three weeks, anti-independence Timorese militias - organized and supported by the Indonesian military - commenced a large-scale, scorched-earth campaign of retribution. The militias killed approximately 1,400 Timorese and forcibly pushed 300,000 people into western Timor as refugees. Most of the country's infrastructure, including homes, irrigation systems, water supply systems, and schools, and nearly 100% of the country's electrical grid were destroyed. On 20 September 1999, Australian-led peacekeeping troops deployed to the country and brought the violence to an end. On 20 May 2002, Timor-Leste was internationally recognized as an independent state. In 2006, internal tensions threatened the new nation's security when a military strike led to violence and a breakdown of law and order. At Dili's request, an Australian-led International Stabilization Force (ISF) deployed to Timor-Leste, and the UN Security Council established the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT), which included an authorized police presence of over 1,600 personnel. The ISF and UNMIT restored stability, allowing for presidential and parliamentary elections in 2007 in a largely peaceful atmosphere. In February 2008, a rebel group staged an unsuccessful attack against the president and prime minister. The ringleader was killed in the attack, and most of the rebels surrendered in April 2008. Since the attack, the government has enjoyed one of its longest periods of post-independence stability, including successful 2012 elections for both the parliament and president. In late 2012, the UN Security Council voted to end its peacekeeping mission in Timor-Leste and both the ISF and UNMIT departed the country by the end of the year.
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