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

Health

live 1.9 years longer

In Micronesia, Federated States of, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 81.1% less likely to be obese

In Micronesia, Federated States of, 48.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.

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be 76.8% less likely to die by suicide

Micronesia, Federated States of has a suicide rate of 19.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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see 74.4% less spent on your healthcare

Micronesia, Federated States of spends $482 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.

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have 66.0% fewer doctors per person

Micronesia, Federated States of has 9.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.

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Economy

make 47.3% less money

Micronesia, Federated States of has a GDP per capita of $4,414 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.

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Life

be 34.0% more likely to die during infancy

In Micronesia, Federated States of, approximately 20.3 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.

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Basic Needs

be 11.0% more likely to have access to electricity

In Micronesia, Federated States of, approximately 87% of people have electricity access (97% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 96% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 66.0% more likely to have internet access

In Micronesia, Federated States of, approximately 39.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 89.4% less on education

Micronesia, Federated States of spends 11.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 89.7% less on healthcare

Micronesia, Federated States of spends 12.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 16.3% more likely to die in a road accident

In Micronesia, Federated States of, road accidents kill 14.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 53.3% less home broadband

Micronesia, Federated States of has 5.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.

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Environment

be 27.8% more likely to die from air pollution

In Micronesia, Federated States of, air pollution causes 54.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

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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