If you lived in Laos instead of Montenegro, you would:

Health

be 46.3% less likely to be obese

In Montenegro, 17.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.

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be 59.5% less likely to die by suicide

Montenegro has a suicide rate of 11.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 8.7 years less

In Montenegro, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 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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see 95.8% less spent on your healthcare

Montenegro spends $2,908 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.

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have 88.1% fewer doctors per person

Montenegro has 27.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.

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have 27.8% less access to essential health services

Montenegro scores 72 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 91.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Montenegro, 13.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.

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be 25.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Montenegro, 20.0% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.

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make 84.3% less money

Montenegro has a GDP per capita of $14,817 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.

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Life

have 86.9% more children

In Montenegro, there are approximately 11.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 18.7 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Montenegro, approximately 6.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 23.6% less likely to be literate

In Montenegro, the literacy rate is 99.0% as of 2021. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.

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be 14.3 times more likely to die during infancy

In Montenegro, approximately 1.9 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 26.2% less likely to have internet access

In Montenegro, approximately 88.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 86.2% less on healthcare

Montenegro spends 9.7% 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 80.2% more likely to die in a road accident

In Montenegro, road accidents kill 9.1 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 91.6% less home broadband

Montenegro has 32.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.

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use 63.5% less electricity

Montenegro uses 4,564 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

be 15.0% more likely to die from air pollution

In Montenegro, air pollution causes 60.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). 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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