Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 14.4 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Italy, that number is 83 years (80 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.8 times more likely to be obese

In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Italy, that number is 19.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 6.3 times more money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $8,400 as of 2023, while in Italy, the GDP per capita is $52,700 as of 2023.

be 6.5 times more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 1.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Italy, that number is 7.6% as of 2023.

pay a 2.0 times higher top tax rate

Laos has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In Italy, the top tax rate is 48.8% as of 2016.

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 Italy, 5.0 women do as of 2020.

be 13.9% more likely to be literate

In Laos, the literacy rate is 87.1% as of 2021. In Italy, it is 99.2% as of 2018.

be 91.6% 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 Italy, on the other hand, 3.2 children do as of 2022.

have 64.1% fewer children

In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Italy, there are 7.1 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 Italy, about 75.0% do as of 2021.

be 12.5% 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 Italy, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 87.0% more on education

Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Italy spends 4.3% 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 Italy, that number is 9.6% of GDP as of 2020.

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

Italy: At a glance

Italy is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 294,140 sq km. Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist dictatorship. His alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy is a charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC). It has been at the forefront of European economic and political unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999. Persistent problems include sluggish economic growth, high youth and female unemployment, organized crime, corruption, and economic disparities between southern Italy and the more prosperous north.
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How big is Italy compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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