Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Laos, you would:
Health
be 37.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Laos, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Zambia, that number is 11.1% of people as of 2020.
live 1.9 years less
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Zambia, that number is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2022.
be 52.8% more likely to be obese
In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Zambia, that number is 8.1% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 56.0% less money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $8,400 as of 2023, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $3,700 as of 2023.
be 5.0 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2023.
be 3.3 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Laos, 18.3% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
pay a 45.8% higher top tax rate
Laos has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In Zambia, the top tax rate is 35.0% as of 2016.
Life
have 72.2% more children
In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 34.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 52.2% 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 Zambia, that number is 48% of people on average (86% in urban areas, and 14% in rural areas) as of 2022.
be 66.1% less likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 62.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Zambia, about 21.0% do as of 2021.
be 19.4% less 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 Zambia, that number is 72% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 57% in rural areas) as of 2020.
Expenditures
spend 60.9% more on education
Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Zambia spends 3.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 2.1 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Zambia, that number is 5.6% of GDP as of 2020.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Zambia Revenue Authority.
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.