Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Laos instead of Sao Tome and Principe, you would:

Health

live 1.1 years longer

In Sao Tome and Principe, the average life expectancy is 67 years (65 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2022. In Laos, that number is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022.

be 57.3% less likely to be obese

In Sao Tome and Principe, 12.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Laos, that number is 5.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 52.7% more money

Sao Tome and Principe has a GDP per capita of $5,500 as of 2023, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $8,400 as of 2023.

be 91.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Sao Tome and Principe, 14.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2023.

be 67.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Sao Tome and Principe, 55.5% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Laos, however, that number is 18.3% as of 2018.

Life

be 14.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 44.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Laos, on the other hand, 37.8 children do as of 2022.

have 25.8% fewer children

In Sao Tome and Principe, there are approximately 26.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 28.2% more likely to have access to electricity

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 78% of people have electricity access (80% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Laos, that number is 100% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 21.6% more likely to have internet access

In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 51.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Laos, about 62.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 54.0% less on education

Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Laos spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 44.9% less on healthcare

Sao Tome and Principe spends 4.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Laos, that number is 2.7% of GDP as of 2020.

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

Laos: At a glance

Laos is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 230,800 sq km. Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th century under King FA NGUM. For 300 years Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the communist Pathet Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. A gradual, limited return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1988. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997 and the WTO in 2013.
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