Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
live 7.4 years less
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 76 years (73 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.
be 2.5 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.1% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Laos, that number is 5.3% of people as of 2016.
Economy
pay a 31.4% lower top tax rate
Vietnam has a top tax rate of 35.0% as of 2016. In Laos, the top tax rate is 24.0% as of 2016.
make 30.7% less money
Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $11,400 as of 2022, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $7,900 as of 2022.
be 2.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Laos, that number is 3.8% as of 2022.
be 3.8 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Vietnam, 4.8% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Laos, however, that number is 18.3% as of 2018.
Life
have 32.9% more children
In Vietnam, there are approximately 14.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.6 times more likely to die during infancy
In Vietnam, approximately 14.8 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 16.2% less likely to have internet access
In Vietnam, approximately 74.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Laos, about 62.0% do as of 2021.
Expenditures
spend 43.9% less on education
Vietnam spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Laos spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 42.6% less on healthcare
Vietnam spends 4.7% 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, General Department Of Taxation - Ministry Of Finance.
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.