Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Benin, you would:
Health
live 8.3 years longer
In Benin, the average life expectancy is 61 years (60 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
be 25.1% less likely to be obese
In Benin, 12.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
have 53.2% more doctors per person
Benin has 2.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 36.8% more access to essential health services
Benin scores 38 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
be 35.7% less likely to die by suicide
Benin has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 10.6% less spent on your healthcare
Benin spends $138 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
Economy
be 25.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Benin, 1.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 58.6% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Benin, 36.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 40.2% more money
Benin has a GDP per capita of $1,658 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
be 78.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Benin, approximately 518.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 47.2% more likely to be literate
In Benin, the literacy rate is 51.4% as of 2022. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
be 39.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Benin, approximately 45.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Laos, on the other hand, 27.2 children do as of 2024.
have 37.4% fewer children
In Benin, there are approximately 33.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 69.3% more likely to have access to electricity
In Benin, approximately 57% of people have electricity access (70% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 96% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 93.0% more likely to have internet access
In Benin, approximately 34.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
be 37.7% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Benin, approximately 70% of people have access to drinking water (76% in urban areas, and 63% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 96% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 61.9% less on education
Benin spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 60.2% less on healthcare
Benin spends 3.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 33.9% less likely to die in a road accident
In Benin, road accidents kill 24.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 9.7 times more home broadband
Benin has 0.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 14.5 times more electricity
Benin uses 115 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
live with 4.9 times more strain on fresh water
Benin withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
Environment
be 10.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Benin, air pollution causes 77.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 6.8 times more CO2
Benin emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Benin vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Benin? See an in-depth size comparison.