Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 7.4 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Bulgaria, that number is 76 years (72 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022.

be 4.7 times more likely to be obese

In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Bulgaria, that number is 25.0% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 4.0 times more money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $8,400 as of 2023, while in Bulgaria, the GDP per capita is $33,300 as of 2023.

pay a 58.3% lower top tax rate

Laos has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In Bulgaria, the top tax rate is 10.0% as of 2016.

be 3.6 times more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 1.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Bulgaria, that number is 4.3% as of 2023.

be 12.6% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Laos, 18.3% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Bulgaria, however, that number is 20.6% as of 2022.

Life

be 94.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Bulgaria, 7.0 women do as of 2020.

be 13.0% more likely to be literate

In Laos, the literacy rate is 87.1% as of 2021. In Bulgaria, it is 98.4% as of 2021.

be 78.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Laos, approximately 37.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Bulgaria, on the other hand, 8.0 children do as of 2022.

have 60.1% fewer children

In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bulgaria, there are 7.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 21.0% more likely to have internet access

In Laos, approximately 62.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Bulgaria, about 75.0% do as of 2021.

be 11.5% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Laos, approximately 89% of people have improved drinking water access (97% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Bulgaria, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 73.9% more on education

Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Bulgaria spends 4.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 3.1 times more on healthcare

Laos spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Bulgaria, that number is 8.5% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, National Revenue Agency, Bulgaria.

Bulgaria: At a glance

Bulgaria is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 108,489 sq km. The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.
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How big is Bulgaria compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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