Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Thailand, you would:
Health
be 43.9% less likely to be obese
In Thailand, 16.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 72.4% less likely to die by suicide
Thailand has a suicide rate of 16.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 7.3 years less
In Thailand, the average life expectancy is 77 years (72 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 88.4% less spent on your healthcare
Thailand spends $1,067 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 38.8% fewer doctors per person
Thailand has 5.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 36.6% less access to essential health services
Thailand scores 82 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 52.6% more likely to be unemployed
In Thailand, 0.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 2.8 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Thailand, 5.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 71.1% less money
Thailand has a GDP per capita of $8,057 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.6 times more children
In Thailand, there are approximately 8.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.3 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Thailand, approximately 34.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 17.0% less likely to be literate
In Thailand, the literacy rate is 91.1% as of 2022. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
be 3.5 times more likely to die during infancy
In Thailand, approximately 7.7 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 27.8% less likely to have internet access
In Thailand, approximately 90.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 51.2% less on education
Thailand spends 2.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 70.7% less on healthcare
Thailand spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 35.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Thailand, road accidents kill 25.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 79.2% less strain on fresh water
Thailand withdraws 23% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
find 81.7% less home broadband
Thailand has 14.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 43.9% less electricity
Thailand uses 2,965 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 15.4% less CO2
Thailand emits 4.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
be 2.4 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Thailand, air pollution causes 29.0 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: Thailand vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Thailand? See an in-depth size comparison.