Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Laos instead of South Africa, you would:

Health

be 98.4% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In South Africa, 19.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Laos, that number is 0.3% of people as of 2020.

live 2.8 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 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 81.3% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Laos, that number is 5.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 95.8% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2023.

pay a 46.7% lower top tax rate

South Africa has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2017. In Laos, the top tax rate is 24.0% as of 2016.

make 41.3% less money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $8,400 as of 2023.

be 10.2% more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Laos, however, that number is 18.3% as of 2018.

Life

have 11.9% more children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 46.0% more likely to die during infancy

In South Africa, approximately 25.9 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.

Basic Needs

be 15.6% more likely to have access to electricity

In South Africa, approximately 86% of people have electricity access (87% in urban areas, and 92% 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 13.9% less likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Laos, about 62.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 65.2% less on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Laos spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 68.6% less on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% 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, Ministry of Finance, South African Revenue Service.

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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How big is Laos compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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