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

Health

be 69.9% less likely to be obese

In Oman, 30.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.

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live 11.0 years less

In Oman, the average life expectancy is 80 years (79 years for men, 82 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 91.5% less spent on your healthcare

Oman spends $1,444 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.

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have 83.4% fewer doctors per person

Oman has 19.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.

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have 25.7% less access to essential health services

Oman scores 70 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.

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be 5.0 times more likely to die by suicide

Oman has a suicide rate of 0.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 63.4% less likely to be unemployed

In Oman, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.

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make 88.3% less money

Oman has a GDP per capita of $19,947 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.

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Life

have 24.7% more children

In Oman, there are approximately 16.8 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 8.6 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Oman, approximately 13.0 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 22.3% less likely to be literate

In Oman, the literacy rate is 97.3% as of 2022. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.

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be 3.3 times more likely to die during infancy

In Oman, approximately 8.3 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 31.1% less likely to have internet access

In Oman, approximately 95.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 71.9% less on education

Oman spends 4.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 61.9% less on healthcare

Oman spends 3.5% 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 49.1% more likely to die in a road accident

In Oman, road accidents kill 11.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 95.9% less strain on fresh water

Oman withdraws 117% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.

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find 75.4% less home broadband

Oman has 11.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.

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use 79.7% less electricity

Oman uses 8,203 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

be 33.7% less likely to die from air pollution

In Oman, air pollution causes 104.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.

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emit 82.0% less CO2

Oman emits 18.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), 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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