Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 16.8 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Macau, that number is 85 years (82 years for men, 88 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 6.6 times more money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $7,900 as of 2022, while in Macau, the GDP per capita is $51,800 as of 2022.

be 36.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 3.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Macau, that number is 2.4% as of 2022.

pay a 50.0% lower top tax rate

Laos has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In Macau, the top tax rate is 12.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 11.5% more likely to be literate

In Laos, the literacy rate is 87.1% as of 2021. In Macau, it is 97.1% as of 2021.

be 87.9% 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 Macau, on the other hand, 4.6 children do as of 2022.

have 56.6% fewer children

In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Macau, there are 8.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 41.9% more likely to have internet access

In Laos, approximately 62.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Macau, about 88.0% 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 Macau, 100% of people do as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 2.7 times more on education

Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Macau spends 6.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Secretariat for Economy and Finance.

Macau: At a glance

Macau is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 28 sq km. Colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century, Macau was the first European settlement in the Far East. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and Portugal on 13 April 1987, Macau became the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China on 20 December 1999. In this agreement, China promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's political and economic system would not be imposed on Macau, and that Macau would enjoy a "high degree of autonomy" in all matters except foreign affairs and defense for the subsequent 50 years.
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How big is Macau compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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