Quality of life comparison
If you lived in New Zealand 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 New Zealand, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022.
be 5.8 times more likely to be obese
In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In New Zealand, that number is 30.8% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 5.7 times more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $7,900 as of 2022, while in New Zealand, the GDP per capita is $45,200 as of 2022.
be 13.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 3.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In New Zealand, that number is 3.3% as of 2022.
pay a 37.5% higher top tax rate
Laos has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In New Zealand, the top tax rate is 33.0% as of 2016.
Life
be 94.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In New Zealand, 7.0 women do as of 2020.
be 90.9% 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 New Zealand, on the other hand, 3.4 children do as of 2022.
have 36.4% fewer children
In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In New Zealand, there are 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 54.8% more likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 62.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In New Zealand, about 96.0% 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 New Zealand, 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. New Zealand spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 3.7 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In New Zealand, that number is 10.0% of GDP as of 2020.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, New Zealand Inland Revenue Department.
New Zealand: At a glance
How big is New Zealand compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.