Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Saudi Arabia instead of Laos, you would:
Health
live 8.5 years longer
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Saudi Arabia, that number is 77 years (75 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.
be 6.7 times more likely to be obese
In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Saudi Arabia, that number is 35.4% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 5.9 times more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $8,400 as of 2023, while in Saudi Arabia, the GDP per capita is $49,600 as of 2023.
be 4.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Saudi Arabia, that number is 4.9% as of 2023.
Life
be 87.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Saudi Arabia, 16.0 women do as of 2020.
be 12.1% more likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 87.1% as of 2021. In Saudi Arabia, it is 97.6% as of 2020.
be 67.5% 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 Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, 12.3 children do as of 2022.
have 31.3% fewer children
In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Saudi Arabia, there are 13.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 61.3% more likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 62.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Saudi Arabia, about 100.0% 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 Saudi Arabia, 100% of people do as of 2020.
Expenditures
spend 3.4 times more on education
Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Saudi Arabia spends 7.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 2.1 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Saudi Arabia, that number is 5.7% of GDP as of 2019.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.
Saudi Arabia: At a glance
How big is Saudi Arabia compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.