Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Tajikistan, you would:
Health
be 60.2% less likely to be obese
In Tajikistan, 23.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
live 2.7 years less
In Tajikistan, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 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 66.1% less spent on your healthcare
Tajikistan spends $364 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 82.3% fewer doctors per person
Tajikistan has 18.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 22.4% less access to essential health services
Tajikistan scores 67 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
be 88.5% more likely to die by suicide
Tajikistan has a suicide rate of 2.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 82.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Tajikistan, 6.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 24.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Tajikistan, 19.8% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 42.0% more money
Tajikistan has a GDP per capita of $1,637 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
be 8.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Tajikistan, approximately 14.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 15.7% more likely to die during infancy
In Tajikistan, approximately 23.5 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 17.4% fewer children
In Tajikistan, there are approximately 25.3 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 17.6% more likely to have internet access
In Tajikistan, approximately 55.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 77.4% less on education
Tajikistan spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 82.1% less on healthcare
Tajikistan spends 7.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 18.0% more likely to die in a road accident
In Tajikistan, road accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.8 times more home broadband
Tajikistan has 1.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
live with 93.2% less strain on fresh water
Tajikistan withdraws 70% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
use 11.2% more electricity
Tajikistan uses 1,497 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 56.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Tajikistan, air pollution causes 159.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.6 times more CO2
Tajikistan emits 0.9 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: Tajikistan vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Tajikistan? See an in-depth size comparison.