Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Mongolia, you would:
Health
be 63.4% less likely to be obese
In Mongolia, 25.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 75.2% less likely to die by suicide
Mongolia has a suicide rate of 18.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 3.2 years less
In Mongolia, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 77 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 88.9% less spent on your healthcare
Mongolia spends $1,109 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 92.0% fewer doctors per person
Mongolia has 41.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 20.0% less access to essential health services
Mongolia scores 65 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 77.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Mongolia, 5.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 44.6% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Mongolia, 27.1% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 67.3% less money
Mongolia has a GDP per capita of $7,108 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 23.8% more children
In Mongolia, there are approximately 16.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.7 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Mongolia, approximately 41.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 23.3% less likely to be literate
In Mongolia, the literacy rate is 98.6% as of 2024. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
be 2.4 times more likely to die during infancy
In Mongolia, approximately 11.2 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 11.3% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Mongolia, approximately 86% of people have access to drinking water (96% in urban areas, and 64% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 96% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2024.
be 22.9% less likely to have internet access
In Mongolia, approximately 85.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 76.4% less on education
Mongolia spends 5.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 78.1% less on healthcare
Mongolia spends 6.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 32.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Mongolia, road accidents kill 12.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 82.8% less home broadband
Mongolia has 15.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
live with 40.9% more strain on fresh water
Mongolia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
use 39.0% less electricity
Mongolia uses 2,728 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 42.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Mongolia, air pollution causes 120.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 57.3% less CO2
Mongolia emits 7.8 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 (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Mongolia vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Mongolia? See an in-depth size comparison.