Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Vanuatu instead of Laos, you would:

Health

live 7.0 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Vanuatu, that number is 75 years (73 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022.

be 4.8 times more likely to be obese

In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Vanuatu, that number is 25.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 64.1% less money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $7,800 as of 2020, while in Vanuatu, the GDP per capita is $2,800 as of 2020.

be 2.4 times more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 0.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In Vanuatu, that number is 1.7% as of 1999.

Life

be 61.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Laos, approximately 185.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Vanuatu, 72.0 women do as of 2017.

be 62.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Laos, approximately 37.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Vanuatu, on the other hand, 14.3 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 34.9% less likely to have access to electricity

In Laos, approximately 95% of people have electricity access (98% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2019. In Vanuatu, that number is 62% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 51% in rural areas) as of 2018.

be 23.5% less likely to have internet access

In Laos, approximately 34.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Vanuatu, about 26.0% do as of 2019.

Expenditures

spend 20.7% less on education

Laos spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2014. Vanuatu spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 30.8% more on healthcare

Laos spends 2.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Vanuatu, that number is 3.4% of GDP as of 2019.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Vanuatu: At a glance

Vanuatu is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 12,189 sq km. Multiple waves of colonizers, each speaking a distinct language, migrated to the New Hebrides in the millennia preceding European exploration in the 18th century. This settlement pattern accounts for the complex linguistic diversity found on the archipelago to this day. The British and French, who settled the New Hebrides in the 19th century, agreed in 1906 to an Anglo-French Condominium, which administered the islands until independence in 1980, when the new name of Vanuatu was adopted.
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How big is Vanuatu compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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