Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 2.5 years less

In Cambodia, the average life expectancy is 71 years (69 years for men, 73 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 35.9% more likely to be obese

In Cambodia, 3.9% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Laos, that number is 5.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 75.6% more money

Cambodia has a GDP per capita of $4,500 as of 2022, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $7,900 as of 2022.

be 16.6 times more likely to be unemployed

In Cambodia, 0.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Laos, that number is 3.8% as of 2022.

be 10.9% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Cambodia, 16.5% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Laos, however, that number is 18.3% as of 2018.

pay a 20.0% higher top tax rate

Cambodia has a top tax rate of 20.0% as of 2016. In Laos, the top tax rate is 24.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 42.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Cambodia, approximately 218.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Laos, 126.0 women do as of 2020.

be 27.7% more likely to die during infancy

In Cambodia, approximately 29.6 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 21.2% more likely to have access to electricity

In Cambodia, approximately 82% of people have electricity access (99% in urban areas, and 77% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Laos, that number is 100% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 25.8% less on education

Cambodia spends 3.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Laos spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 64.0% less on healthcare

Cambodia spends 7.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Laos, that number is 2.7% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, General Department of Taxation.

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 Cambodia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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