Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Zambia, you would:
Health
be 97.3% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Zambia, 11.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Laos, that number is 0.3% of people as of 2020.
live 1.9 years longer
In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 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 34.6% less likely to be obese
In Zambia, 8.1% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Laos, that number is 5.3% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 2.3 times more money
Zambia has a GDP per capita of $3,400 as of 2022, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $7,900 as of 2022.
be 12.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Zambia, 4.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Laos, that number is 3.8% as of 2022.
be 66.4% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Zambia, 54.4% live below the poverty line as of 2015. In Laos, however, that number is 18.3% as of 2018.
pay a 31.4% lower top tax rate
Zambia has a top tax rate of 35.0% as of 2016. In Laos, the top tax rate is 24.0% as of 2016.
Life
have 41.9% fewer children
In Zambia, there are approximately 34.1 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 2.1 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Zambia, approximately 47% of people have electricity access (86% in urban areas, and 14% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Laos, that number is 100% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2021.
be 3.0 times more likely to have internet access
In Zambia, approximately 21.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Laos, about 62.0% do as of 2021.
be 24.0% more likely to have access to improved drinking water
In Zambia, approximately 72% of people have improved drinking water access (90% in urban areas, and 57% 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 37.8% less on education
Zambia spends 3.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Laos spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 51.8% less on healthcare
Zambia spends 5.6% 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, Zambia Revenue Authority.
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.