Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 11.6 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Chile, that number is 80 years (77 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022.

be 5.3 times more likely to be obese

In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Chile, that number is 28.0% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 3.5 times more money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $8,400 as of 2023, while in Chile, the GDP per capita is $29,500 as of 2023.

be 41.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Laos, 18.3% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Chile, however, that number is 10.8% as of 2020.

be 7.7 times more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 1.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Chile, that number is 9.0% as of 2023.

pay a 66.7% higher top tax rate

Laos has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In Chile, the top tax rate is 40.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 88.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Chile, 15.0 women do as of 2020.

be 11.4% more likely to be literate

In Laos, the literacy rate is 87.1% as of 2021. In Chile, it is 97.0% as of 2021.

be 82.7% 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 Chile, on the other hand, 6.5 children do as of 2022.

have 37.4% fewer children

In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Chile, there are 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 45.2% more likely to have internet access

In Laos, approximately 62.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Chile, about 90.0% do as of 2021.

be 12.6% 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 Chile, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 2.4 times more on education

Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Chile spends 5.6% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

spend 3.6 times more on healthcare

Laos spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Chile, that number is 9.8% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Chilean Tax Administration.

Chile: At a glance

Chile is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 743,812 sq km. Prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, the Inca ruled northern Chile while the Mapuche inhabited central and southern Chile. Although Chile declared its independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish was not achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-83), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its present northern regions. It was not until the 1880s that the Mapuche were brought under central government control. After a series of elected governments, the three-year-old Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown in 1973 by a military coup led by Augusto PINOCHET, who ruled until a freely elected president was inaugurated in 1990. Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s, contributed to steady growth, reduced poverty rates by over half, and helped secure the country's commitment to democratic and representative government. Chile has increasingly assumed regional and international leadership roles befitting its status as a stable, democratic nation. In January 2014, Chile assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2014-15 term.
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How big is Chile compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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