Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 75.0% less likely to be obese

In Guatemala, 21.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Laos, that number is 5.3% of people as of 2016.

live 4.8 years less

In Guatemala, the average life expectancy is 73 years (71 years for men, 75 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

be 56.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Guatemala, 2.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2023.

be 69.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Guatemala, 59.3% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Laos, however, that number is 18.3% as of 2018.

make 33.9% less money

Guatemala has a GDP per capita of $12,700 as of 2023, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $8,400 as of 2023.

pay a 3.4 times higher top tax rate

Guatemala has a top tax rate of 7.0% as of 2016. In Laos, the top tax rate is 24.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 31.2% more likely to die during childbirth

In Guatemala, approximately 96.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Laos, 126.0 women do as of 2020.

be 44.3% more likely to die during infancy

In Guatemala, approximately 26.2 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 21.6% more likely to have internet access

In Guatemala, approximately 51.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Laos, about 62.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 25.8% less on education

Guatemala spends 3.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Laos spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 58.5% less on healthcare

Guatemala spends 6.5% 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, Superintendence of the Tax Administration.

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 Guatemala? See an in-depth size comparison.

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