Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 7.9 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Jordan, that number is 76 years (75 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

be 6.7 times more likely to be obese

In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Jordan, that number is 35.5% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 11.9% more money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $8,400 as of 2023, while in Jordan, the GDP per capita is $9,400 as of 2023.

be 14.2% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Laos, 18.3% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Jordan, however, that number is 15.7% as of 2018.

pay a 16.7% lower top tax rate

Laos has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In Jordan, the top tax rate is 20.0% as of 2016.

be 15.2 times more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 1.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Jordan, that number is 17.9% as of 2023.

Life

be 67.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Jordan, 41.0 women do as of 2020.

be 13.0% more likely to be literate

In Laos, the literacy rate is 87.1% as of 2021. In Jordan, it is 98.4% as of 2021.

be 63.2% 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 Jordan, on the other hand, 13.9 children do as of 2022.

have 12.1% more children

In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Jordan, there are 22.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 33.9% more likely to have internet access

In Laos, approximately 62.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Jordan, about 83.0% do as of 2021.

be 11.6% 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 Jordan, that number is 99% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 39.1% more on education

Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Jordan spends 3.2% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 2.8 times more on healthcare

Laos spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Jordan, that number is 7.5% of GDP as of 2020.

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

Jordan: At a glance

Jordan is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 88,802 sq km. Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations awarded Britain the mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain demarcated a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine in the early 1920s. The area gained its independence in 1946 and thereafter became The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The country's long-time ruler, King HUSSEIN (1953-99), successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large internal Palestinian population. Jordan lost the West Bank to Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. King HUSSEIN in 1988 permanently relinquished Jordanian claims to the West Bank; in 1994 he signed a peace treaty with Israel. King ABDALLAH II, King HUSSEIN's eldest son, assumed the throne following his father's death in 1999. He implemented modest political and economic reforms, but in the wake of the "Arab Revolution" across the Middle East, Jordanians continue to press for further political liberalization, government reforms, and economic improvements. In January 2014, Jordan assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2014-15 term.
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How big is Jordan compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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