Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of North Korea, you would:
Health
be 23.2% less likely to be obese
In North Korea, 11.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 50.8% less likely to die by suicide
North Korea has a suicide rate of 9.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 4.5 years less
In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 74 years (72 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.
have 23.5% less access to essential health services
North Korea scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 66.4% less likely to be unemployed
In North Korea, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
Life
have 62.8% more children
In North Korea, there are approximately 12.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 67.2% more likely to die during childbirth
In North Korea, approximately 67.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.0 times more likely to die during infancy
In North Korea, approximately 13.3 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.
Basic Needs
be 67.8% more likely to have access to electricity
In North Korea, approximately 58% of people have electricity access (36% in urban areas, and 11% 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.
Infrastructure
live with 82.7% less strain on fresh water
North Korea withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
use 2.1 times more electricity
North Korea uses 789 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 19.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In North Korea, air pollution causes 86.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 34.0% more CO2
North Korea emits 2.5 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: North Korea vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.