Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Laos instead of Samoa, you would:

Health

be 88.8% less likely to be obese

In Samoa, 47.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Laos, that number is 5.3% of people as of 2016.

live 7.0 years less

In Samoa, the average life expectancy is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 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 40.0% more money

Samoa has a GDP per capita of $6,000 as of 2023, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $8,400 as of 2023.

be 87.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Samoa, 9.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2023.

be 16.4% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Samoa, 21.9% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Laos, however, that number is 18.3% as of 2018.

pay a 11.1% lower top tax rate

Samoa has a top tax rate of 27.0% as of 2016. In Laos, the top tax rate is 24.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 2.1 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Samoa, approximately 59.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Laos, 126.0 women do as of 2020.

be 12.1% less likely to be literate

In Samoa, the literacy rate is 99.1% as of 2021. In Laos, it is 87.1% as of 2021.

be 2.2 times more likely to die during infancy

In Samoa, approximately 17.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2020. In Laos, on the other hand, 37.8 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 20.5% less likely to have internet access

In Samoa, approximately 78.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Laos, about 62.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 52.1% less on education

Samoa spends 4.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Laos spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 49.1% less on healthcare

Samoa spends 5.3% 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, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Revenue, Samoa.

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 Samoa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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