Quality of life comparison
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 8.2 times more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $7,900 as of 2022, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $64,600 as of 2022.
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.
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
How big is United States compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.