Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 14.5 years longer

In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 54 years (52 years for men, 55 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 5.3 times more money

Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $1,500 as of 2021, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $7,900 as of 2022.

be 72.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Afghanistan, 14.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Laos, that number is 3.8% as of 2022.

be 66.4% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Afghanistan, 54.5% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Laos, however, that number is 18.3% as of 2018.

pay a 20.0% higher top tax rate

Afghanistan has a top tax rate of 20.0% as of 2016. In Laos, the top tax rate is 24.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 79.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Afghanistan, approximately 620.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Laos, 126.0 women do as of 2020.

be 2.3 times more likely to be literate

In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Laos, it is 87.1% as of 2021.

be 64.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Afghanistan, approximately 104.9 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 42.1% fewer children

In Afghanistan, there are approximately 34.2 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 3.4 times more likely to have internet access

In Afghanistan, approximately 18.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Laos, about 62.0% do as of 2021.

be 16.1% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Afghanistan, approximately 76% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 68% 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 20.7% less on education

Afghanistan spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Laos spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 82.6% less on healthcare

Afghanistan spends 15.5% 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, Afghanistan Revenue Department, Ministry of Finance.

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 Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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