Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 6.1 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Belarus, that number is 74 years (69 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2022.

be 4.6 times more likely to be obese

In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belarus, that number is 24.5% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.4 times more money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $7,900 as of 2022, while in Belarus, the GDP per capita is $19,100 as of 2022.

be 73.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Laos, 18.3% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Belarus, however, that number is 4.8% as of 2020.

pay a 45.8% lower top tax rate

Laos has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In Belarus, the top tax rate is 13.0% as of 2017.

Life

be 99.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Belarus, 1.0 women do as of 2020.

be 14.7% more likely to be literate

In Laos, the literacy rate is 87.1% as of 2021. In Belarus, it is 99.9% as of 2019.

be 91.3% less likely to die during infancy

In Laos, approximately 37.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Belarus, on the other hand, 3.3 children do as of 2022.

have 58.1% fewer children

In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belarus, there are 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 37.1% more likely to have internet access

In Laos, approximately 62.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Belarus, about 85.0% do as of 2022.

be 12.5% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Laos, approximately 89% of people have improved drinking water access (97% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Belarus, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 2.0 times more on education

Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Belarus spends 4.7% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 2.4 times more on healthcare

Laos spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Belarus, that number is 6.4% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Ministry for Taxes and Levies of the Republic of Belarus.

Belarus: At a glance

Belarus is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 202,900 sq km. After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than have any of the other former Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first directly elected president, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means and a centralized economic system. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion remain in place.
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