Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Sao Tome and Principe instead of Laos, you would:
Health
live 1.1 years less
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 67 years (65 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2022.
be 2.3 times more likely to be obese
In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 12.4% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 57.0% less money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $7,900 as of 2022, while in Sao Tome and Principe, the GDP per capita is $3,400 as of 2022.
be 3.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 3.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 14.3% as of 2022.
be 3.0 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Laos, 18.3% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Sao Tome and Principe, however, that number is 55.5% as of 2017.
Life
have 34.8% more children
In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Sao Tome and Principe, there are 26.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 15.9% more likely to die during childbirth
In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Sao Tome and Principe, 146.0 women do as of 2020.
be 17.5% 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 Sao Tome and Principe, on the other hand, 44.4 children do as of 2022.
Basic Needs
be 10.9% 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 Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 98% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2020.
be 21.6% 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 Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 78% of people on average (80% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2021.
be 17.7% less likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 62.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Sao Tome and Principe, about 51.0% do as of 2021.
Expenditures
spend 2.2 times more on education
Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 81.5% more on healthcare
Laos spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Sao Tome and Principe, that number is 4.9% of GDP as of 2020.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.
Sao Tome and Principe: At a glance
How big is Sao Tome and Principe compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.