Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Cameroon, you would:
Health
be 90.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Cameroon, 3.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Laos, that number is 0.3% of people as of 2020.
live 4.9 years longer
In Cameroon, the average life expectancy is 63 years (61 years for men, 65 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 53.5% less likely to be obese
In Cameroon, 11.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Laos, that number is 5.3% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 2.1 times more money
Cameroon has a GDP per capita of $3,700 as of 2022, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $7,900 as of 2022.
be 51.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Cameroon, 37.5% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Laos, however, that number is 18.3% as of 2018.
pay a 31.4% lower top tax rate
Cameroon has a top tax rate of 35.0% as of 2016. In Laos, the top tax rate is 24.0% as of 2016.
Life
be 71.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Cameroon, approximately 438.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Laos, 126.0 women do as of 2020.
be 13.0% more likely to be literate
In Cameroon, the literacy rate is 77.1% as of 2018. In Laos, it is 87.1% as of 2021.
be 22.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Cameroon, approximately 48.7 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 42.9% fewer children
In Cameroon, there are approximately 34.7 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 52.9% more likely to have access to electricity
In Cameroon, approximately 65% of people have electricity access (95% in urban areas, and 25% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Laos, that number is 100% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2021.
be 34.8% more likely to have internet access
In Cameroon, approximately 46.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Laos, about 62.0% do as of 2021.
be 13.0% more likely to have access to improved drinking water
In Cameroon, approximately 79% of people have improved drinking water access (95% in urban areas, and 56% 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 28.1% less on education
Cameroon spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Laos spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 28.9% less on healthcare
Cameroon spends 3.8% 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.
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Cameroon? See an in-depth size comparison.