Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in United States instead of Laos, you would:

Health

live 12.4 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In United States, that number is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022.

be 6.8 times more likely to be obese

In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In United States, that number is 36.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 8.8 times more money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $8,400 as of 2023, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $73,600 as of 2023.

be 17.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Laos, 18.3% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In United States, however, that number is 15.1% as of 2010.

be 3.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 1.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In United States, that number is 3.6% as of 2023.

pay a 65.0% higher top tax rate

Laos has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In United States, the top tax rate is 39.6% as of 2016.

Life

be 83.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In United States, 21.0 women do as of 2020.

be 86.3% 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 United States, on the other hand, 5.2 children do as of 2022.

have 38.4% fewer children

In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 12.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 48.4% more likely to have internet access

In Laos, approximately 62.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In United States, about 92.0% do as of 2021.

be 12.5% 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 United States, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 2.7 times more on education

Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. United States spends 6.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 7.0 times more on healthcare

Laos spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In United States, that number is 18.8% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Internal Revenue Service.

United States: At a glance

United States (sometimes abbreviated US or USA) is a sovereign country in North America, with a total land area of approximately 9,147,593 sq km. Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation state. Since the end of World War II, the economy has achieved relatively steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology.
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How big is United States compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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