Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Singapore, you would:
Health
be 46.0% less likely to be obese
In Singapore, 17.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 43.5% less likely to die by suicide
Singapore has a suicide rate of 8.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 14.1 years less
In Singapore, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 86 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 98.1% less spent on your healthcare
Singapore spends $6,551 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 88.3% fewer doctors per person
Singapore has 28.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 41.6% less access to essential health services
Singapore scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 57.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Singapore, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
make 97.6% less money
Singapore has a GDP per capita of $98,814 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.8 times more children
In Singapore, there are approximately 7.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 18.7 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Singapore, approximately 6.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 22.5% less likely to be literate
In Singapore, the literacy rate is 97.7% as of 2021. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
be 12.4 times more likely to die during infancy
In Singapore, approximately 2.2 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.
Basic Needs
be 30.5% less likely to have internet access
In Singapore, approximately 94.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 43.8% less on education
Singapore spends 2.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 70.4% less on healthcare
Singapore spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 8.6 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Singapore, road accidents kill 1.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 85.6% less strain on fresh water
Singapore withdraws 33% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
find 90.2% less home broadband
Singapore has 27.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 82.9% less electricity
Singapore uses 9,750 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 65.6% less CO2
Singapore emits 9.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
be 3.0 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Singapore, air pollution causes 23.0 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: Singapore vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Singapore? See an in-depth size comparison.