Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Ethiopia, you would:
Health
be 17.8% more likely to be obese
In Ethiopia, 4.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Laos, that number is 5.3% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 3.0 times more money
Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $2,800 as of 2023, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $8,400 as of 2023.
be 66.3% less likely to be unemployed
In Ethiopia, 3.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2023.
be 22.1% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Ethiopia, 23.5% live below the poverty line as of 2015. In Laos, however, that number is 18.3% as of 2018.
pay a 31.4% lower top tax rate
Ethiopia 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 52.8% less likely to die during childbirth
In Ethiopia, approximately 267.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Laos, 126.0 women do as of 2020.
be 68.1% more likely to be literate
In Ethiopia, the literacy rate is 51.8% as of 2017. In Laos, it is 87.1% as of 2021.
be 12.7% more likely to die during infancy
In Ethiopia, approximately 33.5 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 33.1% fewer children
In Ethiopia, there are approximately 29.6 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 81.8% more likely to have access to electricity
In Ethiopia, approximately 55% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 43% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Laos, that number is 100% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2022.
be 3.6 times more likely to have internet access
In Ethiopia, approximately 17.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Laos, about 62.0% do as of 2021.
be 16.2% more likely to have access to improved drinking water
In Ethiopia, approximately 76% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 70% 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 48.9% less on education
Ethiopia spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Laos spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 22.9% less on healthcare
Ethiopia spends 3.5% 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, Ministry of Finance, Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority.
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.