Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Laos instead of Hong Kong, you would:

Health

live 15.5 years less

In Hong Kong, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 86 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

be 11.6% less likely to be unemployed

In Hong Kong, 4.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Laos, that number is 3.8% as of 2022.

make 86.5% less money

Hong Kong has a GDP per capita of $58,500 as of 2022, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $7,900 as of 2022.

pay a 60.0% higher top tax rate

Hong Kong has a top tax rate of 15.0% as of 2016. In Laos, the top tax rate is 24.0% as of 2016.

Life

have 2.6 times more children

In Hong Kong, there are approximately 7.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 14.8 times more likely to die during infancy

In Hong Kong, approximately 2.5 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 33.3% less likely to have internet access

In Hong Kong, approximately 93.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Laos, about 62.0% do as of 2021.

be 11.2% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Hong Kong, approximately 100% of people have improved drinking water access as of 2020. In Laos, 89% of people do as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 42.5% less on education

Hong Kong spends 4.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Laos spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong.

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 Hong Kong? See an in-depth size comparison.

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