Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Malta, you would:
Health
be 70.0% less likely to be obese
In Malta, 30.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 29.2% less likely to die by suicide
Malta has a suicide rate of 6.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 13.7 years less
In Malta, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 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 97.8% less spent on your healthcare
Malta spends $5,706 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 92.7% fewer doctors per person
Malta has 45.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 38.8% less access to essential health services
Malta scores 85 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 59.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Malta, 2.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 10.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Malta, 16.7% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 95.1% less money
Malta has a GDP per capita of $47,907 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.7 times more children
In Malta, there are approximately 7.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 14.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Malta, approximately 8.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 20.3% less likely to be literate
In Malta, the literacy rate is 94.9% as of 2021. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
be 5.8 times more likely to die during infancy
In Malta, approximately 4.7 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 30.1% less likely to have internet access
In Malta, approximately 93.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 73.9% less on education
Malta spends 4.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 85.0% less on healthcare
Malta spends 8.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 8.6 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Malta, road accidents kill 1.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 93.4% less strain on fresh water
Malta withdraws 73% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
find 93.9% less home broadband
Malta has 44.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 66.8% less electricity
Malta uses 5,013 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 3.3 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Malta, air pollution causes 21.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Malta vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Malta? See an in-depth size comparison.