Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Laos instead of Bangladesh, you would:

Health

live 6.5 years less

In Bangladesh, the average life expectancy is 75 years (73 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022. In Laos, that number is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022.

be 47.2% more likely to be obese

In Bangladesh, 3.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Laos, that number is 5.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 76.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Bangladesh, 5.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2023.

pay a 20.0% lower top tax rate

Bangladesh has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2016. In Laos, the top tax rate is 24.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 16.3% more likely to be literate

In Bangladesh, the literacy rate is 74.9% as of 2020. In Laos, it is 87.1% as of 2021.

have 14.5% more children

In Bangladesh, there are approximately 17.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 24.5% more likely to die during infancy

In Bangladesh, approximately 30.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Laos, on the other hand, 37.8 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 59.0% more likely to have internet access

In Bangladesh, approximately 39.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Laos, about 62.0% do as of 2021.

be 10.2% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Bangladesh, approximately 99% of people have improved drinking water access (99% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Laos, that number is 89% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, National Board of Revenue (NBR), Bangladesh.

Laos: At a glance

Laos is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 230,800 sq km. Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th century under King FA NGUM. For 300 years Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the communist Pathet Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. A gradual, limited return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1988. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997 and the WTO in 2013.
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How big is Laos compared to Bangladesh? See an in-depth size comparison.

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