Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
be 37.3% less likely to die by suicide
Vietnam has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 5.5 years less
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
be 3.8 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
see 82.1% less spent on your healthcare
Vietnam spends $690 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 70.1% fewer doctors per person
Vietnam has 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 23.5% less access to essential health services
Vietnam scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 21.7% less likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 3.6 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Vietnam, 4.2% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 54.1% less money
Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $5,066 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 56.0% more children
In Vietnam, there are approximately 13.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.3 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Vietnam, approximately 48.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 21.3% less likely to be literate
In Vietnam, the literacy rate is 96.1% as of 2022. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
be 2.3 times more likely to die during infancy
In Vietnam, approximately 12.0 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 22.1% less likely to have internet access
In Vietnam, approximately 84.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 57.4% less on education
Vietnam spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 70.8% less on healthcare
Vietnam spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
live with 73.6% less strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
find 88.5% less home broadband
Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 35.6% less electricity
Vietnam uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 21.5% less CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
be 32.7% more likely to die from air pollution
In Vietnam, air pollution causes 52.0 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: Vietnam vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.