Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Switzerland, you would:
Health
be 18.7% less likely to be obese
In Switzerland, 11.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 67.3% less likely to die by suicide
Switzerland has a suicide rate of 14.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 15.2 years less
In Switzerland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 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 98.8% less spent on your healthcare
Switzerland spends $10,602 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 92.6% fewer doctors per person
Switzerland has 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 39.5% less access to essential health services
Switzerland scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 75.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Switzerland, 4.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
make 98.0% less money
Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $114,769 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.4 times more children
In Switzerland, there are approximately 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 22.4 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Switzerland, approximately 5.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 8.0 times more likely to die during infancy
In Switzerland, approximately 3.4 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.
Basic Needs
be 32.6% less likely to have internet access
In Switzerland, approximately 97.3% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 74.7% less on education
Switzerland spends 4.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 88.6% less on healthcare
Switzerland spends 11.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 6.8 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Switzerland, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 26.3% less strain on fresh water
Switzerland withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
find 94.2% less home broadband
Switzerland has 47.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 76.6% less electricity
Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 10.7% less CO2
Switzerland emits 3.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
be 6.9 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Switzerland, air pollution causes 10.0 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: Switzerland vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.