Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 13.5 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Denmark, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.7 times more likely to be obese

In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Denmark, that number is 19.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 7.6 times more money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $7,900 as of 2022, while in Denmark, the GDP per capita is $59,900 as of 2022.

be 32.2% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Laos, 18.3% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Denmark, however, that number is 12.4% as of 2021.

be 16.0% more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 3.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Denmark, that number is 4.4% as of 2022.

pay a 2.3 times higher top tax rate

Laos has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In Denmark, the top tax rate is 55.8% as of 2017.

Life

be 96.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Denmark, 5.0 women do as of 2020.

be 92.0% 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 Denmark, on the other hand, 3.0 children do as of 2022.

have 42.9% fewer children

In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Denmark, there are 11.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 59.7% more likely to have internet access

In Laos, approximately 62.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Denmark, about 99.0% do as of 2021.

be 12.6% 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 Denmark, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 2.8 times more on education

Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Denmark spends 6.4% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 3.9 times more on healthcare

Laos spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Denmark, that number is 10.5% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Danish Central Tax Administration.

Denmark: At a glance

Denmark is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 42,434 sq km. Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is participating in the general political and economic integration of Europe. It joined NATO in 1949 and the EEC (now the EU) in 1973. However, the country has opted out of certain elements of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty, including the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), European defense cooperation, and issues concerning certain justice and home affairs.
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How big is Denmark compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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