Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Pakistan, you would:
Health
live 1.4 years longer
In Pakistan, the average life expectancy is 68 years (65 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
be 62.6% less likely to be obese
In Pakistan, 24.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
have 15.6% more access to essential health services
Pakistan scores 45 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
be 18.8% less likely to die by suicide
Pakistan has a suicide rate of 5.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 19.0% less spent on your healthcare
Pakistan spends $152 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 71.5% fewer doctors per person
Pakistan has 11.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
Economy
be 78.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Pakistan, 5.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 48.1% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Pakistan, 28.9% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 45.7% more money
Pakistan has a GDP per capita of $1,596 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
be 27.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Pakistan, approximately 155.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 28.5% more likely to be literate
In Pakistan, the literacy rate is 58.9% as of 2021. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
be 43.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Pakistan, approximately 48.2 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.
have 23.6% fewer children
In Pakistan, there are approximately 27.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 14.6% more likely to have internet access
In Pakistan, approximately 57.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 36.9% less on education
Pakistan spends 1.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 47.2% less on healthcare
Pakistan spends 2.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 37.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In Pakistan, road accidents kill 11.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 85.0% more home broadband
Pakistan has 1.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
live with 95.6% less strain on fresh water
Pakistan withdraws 110% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
use 3.2 times more electricity
Pakistan uses 518 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 34.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Pakistan, air pollution causes 105.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.1 times more CO2
Pakistan emits 0.8 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: Pakistan vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Pakistan? See an in-depth size comparison.