Quality of life comparison
If you lived in North Korea instead of Laos, you would:
Health
live 3.6 years longer
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In North Korea, that number is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022.
be 28.3% more likely to be obese
In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In North Korea, that number is 6.8% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 79.8% less money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $8,400 as of 2023, while in North Korea, the GDP per capita is $1,700 as of 2015.
be 2.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In North Korea, that number is 3.0% as of 2023.
Life
be 15.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In North Korea, 107.0 women do as of 2020.
be 14.8% more likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 87.1% as of 2021. In North Korea, it is 100.0% as of 2015.
be 41.2% 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 North Korea, on the other hand, 22.2 children do as of 2022.
have 33.3% fewer children
In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In North Korea, there are 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 45.3% less likely to have access to electricity
In Laos, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (98% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2022. In North Korea, that number is 55% of people on average (36% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2022.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.
North Korea: At a glance
How big is North Korea compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.