Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 4.3 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Suriname, that number is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.7 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Laos, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Suriname, that number is 1.1% of people as of 2020.

be 5.0 times more likely to be obese

In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Suriname, that number is 26.4% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.3 times more money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $8,400 as of 2023, while in Suriname, the GDP per capita is $19,000 as of 2023.

be 6.5 times more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 1.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Suriname, that number is 7.7% as of 2023.

be 3.8 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Laos, 18.3% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Suriname, however, that number is 70.0% as of 2002.

pay a 58.3% higher top tax rate

Laos has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In Suriname, the top tax rate is 38.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 23.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Suriname, 96.0 women do as of 2020.

be 19.9% 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 Suriname, on the other hand, 30.2 children do as of 2022.

have 24.7% fewer children

In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Suriname, there are 14.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

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 Suriname, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 2.2 times more on education

Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Suriname spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 2.5 times more on healthcare

Laos spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Suriname, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2020.

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

Suriname: At a glance

Suriname is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 156,000 sq km. First explored by the Spaniards in the 16th century and then settled by the English in the mid-17th century, Suriname became a Dutch colony in 1667. With the abolition of African slavery in 1863, workers were brought in from India and Java. Independence from the Netherlands was granted in 1975. Five years later the civilian government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared a socialist republic. It continued to exert control through a succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In 1990, the military overthrew the civilian leadership, but a democratically elected government - a four-party coalition - returned to power in 1991. The coalition expanded to eight parties in 2005 and ruled until August 2010, when voters returned former military leader Desire BOUTERSE and his opposition coalition to power.
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How big is Suriname compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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