Laos
Leading cause: Heart Disease · 75% plant-based · 68.5 yr life expectancy · UHC 64/100
What People Eat
Cardiovascular and dietary profile drawn from WHO Global Health Estimates. Plant-based score reflects the share of whole plant foods (grains, legumes, vegetables, fruit, nuts) in the typical national diet.
Disease Burden
Leading cause of death: Heart Disease · 178 / 100k
Bars show each rate against the global range; the tick marks the world median.
Heart disease (178/100k) leads, on a sticky-rice-, fish-, and vegetable-based diet that remains largely plant-forward. Limited rural healthcare and rising salt and processed-food intake shape the burden.
Healthcare System
Sources: WHO UHC Service Coverage Index (SDG 3.8.1) & WHO Global Health Expenditure Database. Latest available year.
What Could Improve
- Expand rural primary-care access and reduce salt intake.
- Protect the traditional rice-fish-vegetable diet as the food supply modernizes.
Explore the evidence: Heart Disease
WHO Global Health Estimates · 2022 · age-standardized country data
→ 178 CVD deaths per 100k · 75% plant-based diet