Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Puerto Rico instead of Laos, you would:

Health

live 13.5 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Puerto Rico, that number is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 5.1 times more money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $8,400 as of 2023, while in Puerto Rico, the GDP per capita is $43,000 as of 2023.

be 5.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 1.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Puerto Rico, that number is 6.0% as of 2023.

pay a 37.5% higher top tax rate

Laos has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In Puerto Rico, the top tax rate is 33.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 73.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Puerto Rico, 34.0 women do as of 2020.

be 84.0% 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 Puerto Rico, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2022.

have 60.6% fewer children

In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, there are 7.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 25.3% more likely to have internet access

In Laos, approximately 62.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, about 77.7% 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 Puerto Rico, 100% of people do as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 56.5% more on education

Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Puerto Rico spends 3.6% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Puerto Rican Department of Treasury.

Puerto Rico: At a glance

Puerto Rico is a territory in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 8,959 sq km. Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Christopher COLUMBUS' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose not to alter the existing political status with the US, but the results of a 2012 vote left open the possibility of American statehood.
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How big is Puerto Rico compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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