Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 89.7% less likely to be obese

In Tuvalu, 51.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Laos, that number is 5.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 61.5% more money

Tuvalu has a GDP per capita of $5,200 as of 2023, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $8,400 as of 2023.

be 30.4% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Tuvalu, 26.3% live below the poverty line as of 2010. In Laos, however, that number is 18.3% as of 2018.

Life

be 30.6% more likely to die during infancy

In Tuvalu, approximately 28.9 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 12.8% fewer children

In Tuvalu, there are approximately 22.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Laos, there are 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 26.5% more likely to have internet access

In Tuvalu, approximately 49.0% 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 Tuvalu, 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 87.4% less on healthcare

Tuvalu spends 21.5% 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

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 Tuvalu? See an in-depth size comparison.

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