Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 89.3 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Laos, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 26.8% of people as of 2020.

live 8.5 years less

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Swaziland, that number is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.1 times more likely to be obese

In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Swaziland, that number is 16.5% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 26.2% more money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $8,400 as of 2023, while in Swaziland, the GDP per capita is $10,600 as of 2023.

be 31.9 times more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 1.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Swaziland, that number is 37.6% as of 2023.

be 3.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Laos, 18.3% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Swaziland, however, that number is 58.9% as of 2016.

pay a 37.5% higher top tax rate

Laos has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In Swaziland, the top tax rate is 33.0% as of 2016.

Life

have 12.6% more children

In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Swaziland, there are 22.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 3.5 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Swaziland, 437.0 women do as of 2017.

Basic Needs

be 17.7% 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 Swaziland, that number is 82% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 79% in rural areas) as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 2.2 times more on education

Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Swaziland spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 2.4 times more on healthcare

Laos spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2020.

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

Swaziland: At a glance

Swaziland is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 17,204 sq km. Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in 1968. Student and labor unrest during the 1990s pressured King MSWATI III, Africa's last absolute monarch, to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy, although he has backslid on these promises in recent years. A constitution came into effect in 2006, but the legal status of political parties remains unclear. The African United Democratic Party tried unsuccessfully to register as an official political party in mid 2006. Talks over the constitution broke down between the government and progressive groups in 2007. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.
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