Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Laos instead of Papua New Guinea, you would:

Health

be 75.1% less likely to be obese

In Papua New Guinea, 21.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Laos, that number is 5.3% of people as of 2016.

live 1.3 years less

In Papua New Guinea, the average life expectancy is 69 years (68 years for men, 71 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 100.0% more money

Papua New Guinea has a GDP per capita of $4,200 as of 2023, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $8,400 as of 2023.

be 55.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Papua New Guinea, 2.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2023.

be 50.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Papua New Guinea, 37.0% live below the poverty line as of 2002. In Laos, however, that number is 18.3% as of 2018.

pay a 42.9% lower top tax rate

Papua New Guinea has a top tax rate of 42.0% as of 2016. In Laos, the top tax rate is 24.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 34.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 192.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Laos, 126.0 women do as of 2020.

be 35.7% more likely to be literate

In Papua New Guinea, the literacy rate is 64.2% as of 2015. In Laos, it is 87.1% as of 2021.

be 12.5% more likely to die during infancy

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 33.6 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.

have 29.5% fewer children

In Papua New Guinea, there are approximately 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 5.3 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 19% of people have electricity access (65% in urban areas, and 14% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Laos, that number is 100% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 93.8% more likely to have internet access

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 32.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Laos, about 62.0% do as of 2021.

be 86.9% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 48% of people have improved drinking water access (86% in urban areas, and 42% 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 64.3% more on education

Papua New Guinea spends 1.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Laos spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

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

Laos: At a glance

Laos is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 230,800 sq km. Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th century under King FA NGUM. For 300 years Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the communist Pathet Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. A gradual, limited return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1988. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997 and the WTO in 2013.
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How big is Laos compared to Papua New Guinea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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