Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Solomon Islands, you would:
Health
be 57.9% less likely to be obese
In Solomon Islands, 21.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
have 39.1% more doctors per person
Solomon Islands has 2.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 10.6% more access to essential health services
Solomon Islands scores 47 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
be 76.6% less likely to die by suicide
Solomon Islands has a suicide rate of 19.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 1.5 years less
In Solomon Islands, the average life expectancy is 71 years (69 years for men, 72 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 19.6% less spent on your healthcare
Solomon Islands spends $153 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
Economy
be 16.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Solomon Islands, 1.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
make 11.4% more money
Solomon Islands has a GDP per capita of $2,086 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
be 65.9% more likely to die during infancy
In Solomon Islands, approximately 16.4 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 21.6% fewer children
In Solomon Islands, there are approximately 26.7 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 18.7% more likely to have access to electricity
In Solomon Islands, approximately 81% of people have electricity access (81% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 96% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 2.3 times more likely to have internet access
In Solomon Islands, approximately 29.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
be 33.9% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Solomon Islands, approximately 72% of people have access to drinking water (91% in urban areas, and 65% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 96% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 85.2% less on education
Solomon Islands spends 8.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 75.2% less on healthcare
Solomon Islands spends 5.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 46.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In Solomon Islands, road accidents kill 11.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 24.7 times more home broadband
Solomon Islands has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
Environment
be 21.1% more likely to die from air pollution
In Solomon Islands, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 8.8 times more CO2
Solomon Islands emits 0.4 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: Solomon Islands vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Solomon Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.