Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Marshall Islands, you would:
Health
be 90.0% less likely to be obese
In Marshall Islands, 52.9% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Laos, that number is 5.3% of people as of 2016.
live 6.5 years less
In Marshall Islands, the average life expectancy is 75 years (72 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022. In Laos, that number is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022.
Economy
make 23.5% more money
Marshall Islands has a GDP per capita of $6,800 as of 2023, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $8,400 as of 2023.
be 96.7% less likely to be unemployed
In Marshall Islands, 36.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2006. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2023.
be 2.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Marshall Islands, 7.2% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Laos, however, that number is 18.3% as of 2018.
Life
be 11.4% less likely to be literate
In Marshall Islands, the literacy rate is 98.3% as of 2011. In Laos, it is 87.1% as of 2021.
be 74.4% more likely to die during infancy
In Marshall Islands, approximately 21.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Laos, on the other hand, 37.8 children do as of 2022.
Basic Needs
be 60.2% more likely to have internet access
In Marshall Islands, approximately 38.7% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Laos, about 62.0% do as of 2021.
be 11.2% less likely to have access to improved drinking water
In Marshall Islands, approximately 100% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Laos, that number is 89% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2020.
Expenditures
spend 83.1% less on education
Marshall Islands spends 13.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Laos spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 79.2% less on healthcare
Marshall Islands spends 13.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Laos, that number is 2.7% of GDP as of 2020.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Marshall Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.