Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 7.9 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In China, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020.

be 17.0% more likely to be obese

In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In China, that number is 6.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.6 times more money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $8,400 as of 2023, while in China, the GDP per capita is $22,100 as of 2023.

be 4.0 times more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 1.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In China, that number is 4.7% as of 2023.

pay a 87.5% higher top tax rate

Laos has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In China, the top tax rate is 45.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 81.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In China, 23.0 women do as of 2020.

be 11.1% more likely to be literate

In Laos, the literacy rate is 87.1% as of 2021. In China, it is 96.8% as of 2018.

be 82.1% 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 China, on the other hand, 6.8 children do as of 2022.

have 48.5% fewer children

In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In China, there are 10.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 17.7% more likely to have internet access

In Laos, approximately 62.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In China, about 73.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 56.5% more on education

Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. China spends 3.6% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 2.1 times more on healthcare

Laos spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In China, that number is 5.6% of GDP as of 2020.

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

China: At a glance

China (sometimes abbreviated PRC) is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 9,326,410 sq km. For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, MAO's successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight. Since the early 1990s, China has increased its global outreach and participation in international organizations.
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How big is China compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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