Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Malaysia, you would:
Health
be 60.7% less likely to be obese
In Malaysia, 23.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 18.9% less likely to die by suicide
Malaysia has a suicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 7.6 years less
In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
see 91.4% less spent on your healthcare
Malaysia spends $1,441 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 85.9% fewer doctors per person
Malaysia has 23.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 31.6% less access to essential health services
Malaysia scores 76 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 68.4% less likely to be unemployed
In Malaysia, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 2.9 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Malaysia, 5.1% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 82.3% less money
Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $13,125 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 69.3% more children
In Malaysia, there are approximately 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 4.3 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Malaysia, approximately 26.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 21.0% less likely to be literate
In Malaysia, the literacy rate is 95.8% as of 2022. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
be 3.9 times more likely to die during infancy
In Malaysia, approximately 7.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Laos, on the other hand, 27.2 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 33.1% less likely to have internet access
In Malaysia, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 65.0% less on education
Malaysia spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 66.4% less on healthcare
Malaysia spends 4.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 18.0% more likely to die in a road accident
In Malaysia, road accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 79.9% less home broadband
Malaysia has 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
live with 39.2% more strain on fresh water
Malaysia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
use 67.3% less electricity
Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 59.7% less CO2
Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Malaysia vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.