Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United Kingdom instead of Laos, you would:
Health
live 12.2 years longer
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.
see 53.6 times more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Kingdom spends $6,606 as of 2024.
have 10.0 times more doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. United Kingdom has 33.0 as of 2023.
have 69.2% more access to essential health services
Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United Kingdom scores 88 as of 2021.
be 3.0 times more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 27.4% of people as of 2024.
be 2.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Kingdom, it is 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 24.8 times more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in United Kingdom, the GDP per capita is $57,602 as of 2025.
be 4.0 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United Kingdom, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 92.9% 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 United Kingdom, 8.0 women do as of 2023.
be 84.9% 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 United Kingdom, on the other hand, 4.1 children do as of 2024.
have 52.7% fewer children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Kingdom, there are 9.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 45.6% more likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United Kingdom, about 95.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 4.8 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. United Kingdom spends 5.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 8.4 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United Kingdom, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 85.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United Kingdom, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 15.5 times more home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. United Kingdom has 42.2 as of 2024.
use 2.5 times more electricity
Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United Kingdom uses 4,195 kWh as of 2024.
live with 3.0 times more strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Kingdom withdraws 14% as of 2022.
Environment
be 81.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Kingdom, it causes 13.0 as of 2019.
emit 26.0% more CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Kingdom emits 4.2 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. United Kingdom
United Kingdom: At a glance
How big is United Kingdom compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.