Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 10.2 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Paraguay, that number is 78 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.8 times more likely to be obese

In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Paraguay, that number is 20.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 86.9% more money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $8,400 as of 2023, while in Paraguay, the GDP per capita is $15,700 as of 2023.

be 4.9 times more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 1.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Paraguay, that number is 5.8% as of 2023.

be 35.0% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Laos, 18.3% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Paraguay, however, that number is 24.7% as of 2022.

Life

be 43.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Paraguay, 71.0 women do as of 2020.

be 38.6% 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 Paraguay, on the other hand, 23.2 children do as of 2022.

have 19.7% fewer children

In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Paraguay, there are 15.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 24.2% more likely to have internet access

In Laos, approximately 62.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Paraguay, about 77.0% 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 Paraguay, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 43.5% more on education

Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Paraguay spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 2.8 times more on healthcare

Laos spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Paraguay, that number is 7.6% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Paraguay: At a glance

Paraguay is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 397,302 sq km. Paraguay achieved its independence from Spain in 1811. In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70) - between Paraguay and Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay - Paraguay lost two-thirds of its adult males and much of its territory. The country stagnated economically for the next half century. Following the Chaco War of 1932-35 with Bolivia, Paraguay gained a large part of the Chaco lowland region. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo STROESSNER ended in 1989, and, despite a marked increase in political infighting in recent years, Paraguay has held relatively free and regular presidential elections since the country's return to democracy.
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How big is Paraguay compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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