Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Zimbabwe, you would:
Health
be 97.5% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Zimbabwe, 11.9% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Laos, that number is 0.3% of people as of 2020.
live 4.8 years longer
In Zimbabwe, the average life expectancy is 63 years (61 years for men, 66 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 65.8% less likely to be obese
In Zimbabwe, 15.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Laos, that number is 5.3% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 3.6 times more money
Zimbabwe has a GDP per capita of $2,200 as of 2022, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $7,900 as of 2022.
be 58.7% less likely to be unemployed
In Zimbabwe, 9.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Laos, that number is 3.8% as of 2022.
be 52.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Zimbabwe, 38.3% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Laos, however, that number is 18.3% as of 2018.
pay a 52.0% lower top tax rate
Zimbabwe has a top tax rate of 50.0% as of 2016. In Laos, the top tax rate is 24.0% as of 2016.
Life
be 64.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Zimbabwe, approximately 357.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Laos, 126.0 women do as of 2020.
be 32.4% more likely to die during infancy
In Zimbabwe, approximately 28.5 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 31.2% fewer children
In Zimbabwe, there are approximately 28.8 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 2.0 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Zimbabwe, approximately 49% of people have electricity access (85% in urban areas, and 32% 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 77.1% more likely to have internet access
In Zimbabwe, approximately 35.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Laos, about 62.0% do as of 2021.
be 15.5% more likely to have access to improved drinking water
In Zimbabwe, approximately 77% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 67% 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 41.0% less on education
Zimbabwe spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2018. Laos spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 20.6% less on healthcare
Zimbabwe spends 3.4% 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, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority.
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Zimbabwe? See an in-depth size comparison.