Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 98.9% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

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

live 8.5 years longer

In Swaziland, the average life expectancy is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 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 67.9% less likely to be obese

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

Economy

be 96.9% less likely to be unemployed

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

be 68.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

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

pay a 27.3% lower top tax rate

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

make 20.8% less money

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

Life

be 71.2% less likely to die during childbirth

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

have 11.2% fewer children

In Swaziland, there are approximately 22.3 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 21.5% more likely to have access to electricity

In Swaziland, approximately 82% of people have electricity access (94% in urban areas, and 79% 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 10.6% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Swaziland, approximately 80% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Laos, that number is 89% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 54.0% less on education

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

spend 58.5% less on healthcare

Swaziland spends 6.5% 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: Swaziland Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance.

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.
Read more

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

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Laos.or Swaziland It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.