Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
be 83.4% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 14.4 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 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 97.6% less spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 87.3% fewer doctors per person
South Korea has 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 41.6% less access to essential health services
South Korea scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 55.6% less likely to be unemployed
In South Korea, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
make 93.6% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 4.5 times more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 28.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In South Korea, approximately 4.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 11.8 times more likely to die during infancy
In South Korea, approximately 2.3 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 33.0% less likely to have internet access
In South Korea, approximately 97.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 77.3% less on education
South Korea spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 84.7% less on healthcare
South Korea spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.4 times more likely to die in a road accident
In South Korea, road accidents kill 6.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 94.4% less strain on fresh water
South Korea withdraws 85% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
find 94.3% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 85.3% less electricity
South Korea uses 11,350 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 70.5% less CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
be 3.6 times more likely to die from air pollution
In South Korea, air pollution causes 19.0 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). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Korea vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.