Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of United Kingdom, you would:
Health
be 66.5% less likely to be obese
In United Kingdom, 27.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 52.0% less likely to die by suicide
United Kingdom has a suicide rate of 9.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 12.2 years less
In United Kingdom, the average life expectancy is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 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 98.1% less spent on your healthcare
United Kingdom spends $6,606 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 90.0% fewer doctors per person
United Kingdom has 33.0 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 40.9% less access to essential health services
United Kingdom scores 88 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 74.9% less likely to be unemployed
In United Kingdom, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
make 96.0% less money
United Kingdom has a GDP per capita of $57,602 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.1 times more children
In United Kingdom, there are approximately 9.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 14.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In United Kingdom, approximately 8.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 6.6 times more likely to die during infancy
In United Kingdom, approximately 4.1 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 31.3% less likely to have internet access
In United Kingdom, approximately 95.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 79.2% less on education
United Kingdom spends 5.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 88.1% less on healthcare
United Kingdom spends 11.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. 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 United Kingdom, 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 66.6% less strain on fresh water
United Kingdom withdraws 14% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
find 93.5% less home broadband
United Kingdom has 42.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 60.3% less electricity
United Kingdom uses 4,195 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 20.6% less CO2
United Kingdom emits 4.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
be 5.3 times more likely to die from air pollution
In United Kingdom, air pollution causes 13.0 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: United Kingdom vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to United Kingdom? See an in-depth size comparison.