Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Moldova, you would:
Health
be 58.8% less likely to be obese
In Moldova, 22.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 67.6% less likely to die by suicide
Moldova has a suicide rate of 14.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 2.1 years less
In Moldova, the average life expectancy is 71 years (67 years for men, 76 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 89.6% less spent on your healthcare
Moldova spends $1,181 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 91.8% fewer doctors per person
Moldova has 40.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 26.8% less access to essential health services
Moldova scores 71 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 20.7% less likely to be unemployed
In Moldova, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 55.4% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Moldova, 33.6% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 73.0% less money
Moldova has a GDP per capita of $8,622 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 97.6% more children
In Moldova, there are approximately 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 5.9 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Moldova, approximately 19.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 24.1% less likely to be literate
In Moldova, the literacy rate is 99.6% as of 2021. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
be 80.1% more likely to die during infancy
In Moldova, approximately 15.1 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 15.2% less likely to have internet access
In Moldova, approximately 77.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 81.3% less on education
Moldova spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 80.3% less on healthcare
Moldova spends 6.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 80.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Moldova, road accidents kill 9.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 61.9% less strain on fresh water
Moldova withdraws 13% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
find 90.8% less home broadband
Moldova has 29.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 31.0% less electricity
Moldova uses 2,412 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 19.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Moldova, air pollution causes 58.0 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: Moldova vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Moldova? See an in-depth size comparison.