Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Mauritania instead of Laos, you would:
Health
live 2.9 years less
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Mauritania, that number is 65 years (63 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2022.
be 2.4 times more likely to be obese
In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Mauritania, that number is 12.7% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 32.9% less money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $7,900 as of 2022, while in Mauritania, the GDP per capita is $5,300 as of 2022.
be 2.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 3.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Mauritania, that number is 10.8% as of 2022.
be 73.8% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Laos, 18.3% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Mauritania, however, that number is 31.8% as of 2019.
pay a 66.7% higher top tax rate
Laos has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In Mauritania, the top tax rate is 40.0% as of 2016.
Life
have 37.4% more children
In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Mauritania, there are 27.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.7 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Mauritania, 465.0 women do as of 2020.
be 23.1% less likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 87.1% as of 2021. In Mauritania, it is 67.0% as of 2021.
be 35.0% more 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 Mauritania, on the other hand, 51.0 children do as of 2022.
Basic Needs
be 52.4% less likely to have access to electricity
In Laos, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (98% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Mauritania, that number is 48% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 1% in rural areas) as of 2021.
Expenditures
spend 17.4% less on education
Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Mauritania spends 1.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 25.9% more on healthcare
Laos spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Mauritania, that number is 3.4% of GDP as of 2020.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance.
Mauritania: At a glance
How big is Mauritania compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.