Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Poland, you would:
Health
be 57.9% less likely to be obese
In Poland, 21.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 66.5% less likely to die by suicide
Poland has a suicide rate of 13.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 9.2 years less
In Poland, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 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.
see 96.9% less spent on your healthcare
Poland spends $3,939 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 91.8% fewer doctors per person
Poland has 40.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 36.6% less access to essential health services
Poland scores 82 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 60.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Poland, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 11.1% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Poland, 13.5% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 91.8% less money
Poland has a GDP per capita of $28,420 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.0 times more children
In Poland, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 56.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Poland, approximately 2.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 24.2% less likely to be literate
In Poland, the literacy rate is 99.8% as of 2021. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
be 7.6 times more likely to die during infancy
In Poland, approximately 3.6 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 26.0% less likely to have internet access
In Poland, approximately 88.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 71.5% less on education
Poland spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 83.5% less on healthcare
Poland spends 8.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.5 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Poland, road accidents kill 6.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 85.3% less strain on fresh water
Poland withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
find 89.3% less home broadband
Poland has 25.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 61.9% less electricity
Poland uses 4,370 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 55.6% less CO2
Poland emits 7.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
be 68.3% more likely to die from air pollution
In Poland, air pollution causes 41.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Poland vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Poland? See an in-depth size comparison.