Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of United States, you would:
Health
be 77.6% less likely to be obese
In United States, 41.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 70.7% less likely to die by suicide
United States has a suicide rate of 15.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 9.7 years less
In United States, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 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 99.1% less spent on your healthcare
United States spends $13,473 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 91.0% fewer doctors per person
United States has 36.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 39.5% less access to essential health services
United States scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 71.7% less likely to be unemployed
In United States, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
make 97.4% less money
United States has a GDP per capita of $90,027 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 97.5% more children
In United States, there are approximately 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 6.6 times more likely to die during childbirth
In United States, approximately 17.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 4.9 times more likely to die during infancy
In United States, approximately 5.5 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.
Basic Needs
be 30.7% less likely to have internet access
In United States, approximately 94.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 77.3% less on education
United States spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 92.0% less on healthcare
United States spends 16.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 15.5% more likely to die in a road accident
In United States, road accidents kill 14.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 83.0% less strain on fresh water
United States withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
find 93.0% less home broadband
United States has 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 87.0% less electricity
United States uses 12,839 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 75.4% less CO2
United States emits 13.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
be 4.9 times more likely to die from air pollution
In United States, air pollution causes 14.0 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 States vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.