Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Sri Lanka, you would:
Health
be 18.2% less likely to be obese
In Sri Lanka, 11.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 68.9% less likely to die by suicide
Sri Lanka has a suicide rate of 14.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 8.5 years less
In Sri Lanka, the average life expectancy is 78 years (74 years for men, 81 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 75.7% less spent on your healthcare
Sri Lanka spends $507 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 70.9% fewer doctors per person
Sri Lanka has 11.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 22.4% less access to essential health services
Sri Lanka scores 67 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 70.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Sri Lanka, 4.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
make 53.5% less money
Sri Lanka has a GDP per capita of $5,002 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.1 times more children
In Sri Lanka, there are approximately 10.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 6.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Sri Lanka, approximately 18.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 18.4% less likely to be literate
In Sri Lanka, the literacy rate is 92.7% as of 2024. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
be 5.2 times more likely to die during infancy
In Sri Lanka, approximately 5.2 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 20.2% more likely to have internet access
In Sri Lanka, approximately 54.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 32.8% less on education
Sri Lanka spends 1.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 63.9% less on healthcare
Sri Lanka spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 42.6% more likely to die in a road accident
In Sri Lanka, road accidents kill 11.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 94.7% less strain on fresh water
Sri Lanka withdraws 91% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
use 2.6 times more electricity
Sri Lanka uses 644 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
find 67.9% less home broadband
Sri Lanka has 8.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
Environment
be 86.5% more likely to die from air pollution
In Sri Lanka, air pollution causes 37.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.2 times more CO2
Sri Lanka emits 1.1 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: Sri Lanka vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Sri Lanka? See an in-depth size comparison.