Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Republic of the Congo instead of Laos, you would:

Health

be 11.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Laos, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 3.3% of people as of 2020.

live 6.1 years less

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 62 years (61 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2022.

be 81.1% more likely to be obese

In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 9.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 26.2% less money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $8,400 as of 2023, while in Republic of the Congo, the GDP per capita is $6,200 as of 2023.

be 17.0 times more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 1.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 20.1% as of 2023.

be 2.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Laos, 18.3% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Republic of the Congo, however, that number is 40.9% as of 2011.

Life

have 44.9% more children

In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, there are 28.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 2.2 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Republic of the Congo, 282.0 women do as of 2020.

be 26.9% 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 Republic of the Congo, on the other hand, 47.9 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 49.4% 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 2022. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 51% of people on average (67% in urban areas, and 12% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 48.2% less likely to have internet access

In Laos, approximately 62.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Republic of the Congo, about 32.1% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 95.7% more on education

Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Republic of the Congo spends 4.5% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 66.7% more on healthcare

Laos spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 4.5% of GDP as of 2020.

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

Republic of the Congo: At a glance

Republic of the Congo is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 341,500 sq km. Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government took office in 1992. A brief civil war in 1997 restored former Marxist President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso, and ushered in a period of ethnic and political unrest. Southern-based rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in March 2003, but the calm is tenuous and refugees continue to present a humanitarian crisis. The Republic of Congo is one of Africa's largest petroleum producers, but with declining production it will need new offshore oil finds to sustain its oil earnings over the long term.
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How big is Republic of the Congo compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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