Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of United Arab Emirates, you would:
Health
be 71.0% less likely to be obese
In United Arab Emirates, 31.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
live 13.8 years less
In United Arab Emirates, the average life expectancy is 83 years (82 years for men, 84 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 96.7% less spent on your healthcare
United Arab Emirates spends $3,727 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 88.9% fewer doctors per person
United Arab Emirates has 29.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 36.6% less access to essential health services
United Arab Emirates scores 82 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
be 2.7 times more likely to die by suicide
United Arab Emirates has a suicide rate of 1.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 45.2% less likely to be unemployed
In United Arab Emirates, 2.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
make 95.4% less money
United Arab Emirates has a GDP per capita of $50,274 as of 2024, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.1 times more children
In United Arab Emirates, there are approximately 9.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 37.3 times more likely to die during childbirth
In United Arab Emirates, approximately 3.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 23.4% less likely to be literate
In United Arab Emirates, the literacy rate is 98.8% as of 2024. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
be 7.2 times more likely to die during infancy
In United Arab Emirates, approximately 3.8 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 34.4% less likely to have internet access
In United Arab Emirates, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 68.4% less on education
United Arab Emirates spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 73.2% less on healthcare
United Arab Emirates spends 5.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.8 times more likely to die in a road accident
In United Arab Emirates, road accidents kill 5.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 99.7% less strain on fresh water
United Arab Emirates withdraws 1510% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
find 93.3% less home broadband
United Arab Emirates has 40.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 89.1% less electricity
United Arab Emirates uses 15,285 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 81.7% less CO2
United Arab Emirates emits 18.3 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 (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: United Arab Emirates vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to United Arab Emirates? See an in-depth size comparison.