Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 15.5 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Hong Kong, that number is 84 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 7.7 times more money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $8,400 as of 2023, while in Hong Kong, the GDP per capita is $64,400 as of 2023.

pay a 37.5% lower top tax rate

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

be 3.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 1.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Hong Kong, that number is 3.9% as of 2023.

Life

be 93.3% 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 Hong Kong, on the other hand, 2.5 children do as of 2022.

have 61.6% fewer children

In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Hong Kong, there are 7.6 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 Hong Kong, 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 as of 2020. In Hong Kong, 100% of people do as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 73.9% more on education

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

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

Hong Kong: At a glance

Hong Kong (sometimes abbreviated HK) is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 1,073 sq km. Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China the following year; various adjacent lands were added later in the 19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China on 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system would not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong would enjoy a "high degree of autonomy" in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the subsequent 50 years.
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How big is Hong Kong compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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