Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Romania, you would:
Health
be 71.7% less likely to be obese
In Romania, 32.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 52.4% less likely to die by suicide
Romania has a suicide rate of 9.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 7.2 years less
In Romania, the average life expectancy is 76 years (73 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.
see 95.3% less spent on your healthcare
Romania spends $2,614 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 90.9% fewer doctors per person
Romania has 36.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 33.3% less access to essential health services
Romania scores 78 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 80.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Romania, 6.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 18.5% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Romania, 18.4% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 89.7% less money
Romania has a GDP per capita of $22,538 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.8 times more children
In Romania, there are approximately 7.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 9.3 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Romania, approximately 12.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 23.7% less likely to be literate
In Romania, the literacy rate is 99.2% as of 2021. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
be 4.5 times more likely to die during infancy
In Romania, approximately 6.0 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 28.2% less likely to have internet access
In Romania, approximately 91.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 62.5% less on education
Romania spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 76.7% less on healthcare
Romania spends 5.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 70.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In Romania, road accidents kill 9.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 37.2% less strain on fresh water
Romania withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
find 92.4% less home broadband
Romania has 35.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 35.6% less electricity
Romania uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 50.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Romania, air pollution causes 46.0 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). How we calculate this
Compare further: Romania vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Romania? See an in-depth size comparison.