Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Laos instead of Micronesia, Federated States of, you would:

Health

be 88.4% less likely to be obese

In Micronesia, Federated States of, 45.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Laos, that number is 5.3% of people as of 2016.

live 6.3 years less

In Micronesia, Federated States of, the average life expectancy is 74 years (72 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022. In Laos, that number is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 2.2 times more money

Micronesia, Federated States of has a GDP per capita of $3,500 as of 2019, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $7,800 as of 2020.

be 95.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Micronesia, Federated States of, 16.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2010. In Laos, that number is 0.7% as of 2017.

be 55.6% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Micronesia, Federated States of, 41.2% live below the poverty line as of 2013. In Laos, however, that number is 18.3% as of 2018.

Life

have 13.6% more children

In Micronesia, Federated States of, there are approximately 18.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

be 2.1 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Micronesia, Federated States of, approximately 88.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Laos, 185.0 women do as of 2017.

be 72.5% more likely to die during infancy

In Micronesia, Federated States of, approximately 21.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Laos, on the other hand, 37.8 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 15.9% more likely to have access to electricity

In Micronesia, Federated States of, approximately 82% of people have electricity access (94% in urban areas, and 79% in rural areas) as of 2018. In Laos, that number is 95% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2019.

be 13.0% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Micronesia, Federated States of, approximately 79% of people have improved drinking water access as of 2017. In Laos, 89% of people do as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 70.1% less on education

Micronesia, Federated States of spends 9.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2018. Laos spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2014.

spend 77.2% less on healthcare

Micronesia, Federated States of spends 11.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Laos, that number is 2.6% of GDP as of 2019.

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

Laos: At a glance

Laos is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 230,800 sq km. Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th century under King FA NGUM. For 300 years Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the communist Pathet Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. A gradual, limited return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1988. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997 and the WTO in 2013.
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How big is Laos compared to Micronesia, Federated States of? See an in-depth size comparison.

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