Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Russia, you would:
Health
be 47.9% less likely to be obese
In Russia, 17.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 78.6% less likely to die by suicide
Russia has a suicide rate of 21.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 4.2 years less
In Russia, the average life expectancy is 73 years (68 years for men, 79 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 96.2% less spent on your healthcare
Russia spends $3,204 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 93.5% fewer doctors per person
Russia has 51.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 34.2% less access to essential health services
Russia scores 79 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 44.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Russia, 2.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 2.1 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Russia, 7.2% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 86.8% less money
Russia has a GDP per capita of $17,547 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.5 times more children
In Russia, there are approximately 8.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 12.4 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Russia, approximately 9.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 24.3% less likely to be literate
In Russia, the literacy rate is 99.9% as of 2021. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
be 6.6 times more likely to die during infancy
In Russia, approximately 4.1 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 30.5% less likely to have internet access
In Russia, approximately 94.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 70.4% less on education
Russia spends 4.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 81.1% less on healthcare
Russia spends 7.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 54.7% more likely to die in a road accident
In Russia, road accidents kill 10.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 90.0% less home broadband
Russia has 27.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
live with 16.3% more strain on fresh water
Russia withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
use 77.1% less electricity
Russia uses 7,285 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 76.0% less CO2
Russia emits 14.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
be 76.9% more likely to die from air pollution
In Russia, air pollution causes 39.0 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: Russia vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Russia? See an in-depth size comparison.