Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 78.5% less likely to be obese

In Cuba, 24.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Laos, that number is 5.3% of people as of 2016.

live 11.5 years less

In Cuba, the average life expectancy is 80 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022. In Laos, that number is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 35.8% less money

Cuba has a GDP per capita of $12,300 as of 2016, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $7,900 as of 2022.

be 3.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In Cuba, 1.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Laos, that number is 3.8% as of 2022.

Life

have 100.0% more children

In Cuba, there are approximately 9.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 3.2 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Cuba, approximately 39.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Laos, 126.0 women do as of 2020.

be 12.6% less likely to be literate

In Cuba, the literacy rate is 99.7% as of 2021. In Laos, it is 87.1% as of 2021.

be 9.1 times more likely to die during infancy

In Cuba, approximately 4.1 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 12.7% less likely to have internet access

In Cuba, approximately 71.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Laos, about 62.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 82.0% less on education

Cuba spends 12.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2010. Laos spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 78.4% less on healthcare

Cuba spends 12.5% 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.

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 Cuba? See an in-depth size comparison.

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