Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 13.6 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Finland, that number is 82 years (79 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

be 4.2 times more likely to be obese

In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Finland, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 6.8 times more money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $8,400 as of 2023, while in Finland, the GDP per capita is $57,500 as of 2023.

be 33.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Laos, 18.3% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Finland, however, that number is 12.2% as of 2022.

be 6.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 1.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Finland, that number is 7.2% as of 2023.

pay a 2.2 times higher top tax rate

Laos has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In Finland, the top tax rate is 51.6% as of 2016.

Life

be 93.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Finland, 8.0 women do as of 2020.

be 94.4% 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 Finland, on the other hand, 2.1 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 Finland, there are 10.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 50.0% more likely to have internet access

In Laos, approximately 62.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Finland, about 93.0% 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 Finland, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 2.6 times more on education

Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Finland spends 5.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 3.6 times more on healthcare

Laos spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Finland, that number is 9.6% of GDP as of 2020.

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

Finland: At a glance

Finland is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 303,815 sq km. Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries, and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia after 1809. It gained complete independence in 1917. During World War II, it successfully defended its independence through cooperation with Germany and resisted subsequent invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of territory. In the subsequent half century, Finland transformed from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is among the highest in Western Europe. A member of the European Union since 1995, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro single currency at its initiation in January 1999. In the 21st century, the key features of Finland's modern welfare state are high quality education, promotion of equality, and a national social welfare system - currently challenged by an aging population and the fluctuations of an export-driven economy.
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How big is Finland compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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