Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Turkmenistan, you would:
Health
be 58.7% less likely to be obese
In Turkmenistan, 22.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 32.9% less likely to die by suicide
Turkmenistan has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 1.0 years less
In Turkmenistan, the average life expectancy is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 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 90.2% less spent on your healthcare
Turkmenistan spends $1,264 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 82.8% fewer doctors per person
Turkmenistan has 19.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 30.7% less access to essential health services
Turkmenistan scores 75 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 72.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Turkmenistan, 4.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
make 64.5% less money
Turkmenistan has a GDP per capita of $6,540 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
be 10.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Turkmenistan, approximately 30.4 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.
be 22.4 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Turkmenistan, 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 24.3% less likely to be literate
In Turkmenistan, the literacy rate is 99.9% as of 2022. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
Basic Needs
be 2.6 times more likely to have internet access
In Turkmenistan, approximately 25.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 71.3% less on education
Turkmenistan spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 75.8% less on healthcare
Turkmenistan spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.0 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Turkmenistan, road accidents kill 8.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 96.5% less strain on fresh water
Turkmenistan withdraws 135% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
find 47.9% less home broadband
Turkmenistan has 5.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 40.1% less electricity
Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 20.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Turkmenistan, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 69.2% less CO2
Turkmenistan emits 10.9 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), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Turkmenistan vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Turkmenistan? See an in-depth size comparison.