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

Health

be 69.5% less likely to be obese

In Brazil, 30.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.

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be 39.7% less likely to die by suicide

Brazil has a suicide rate of 7.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 6.8 years less

In Brazil, the average life expectancy is 76 years (73 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 94.0% less spent on your healthcare

Brazil spends $2,070 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.

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have 86.0% fewer doctors per person

Brazil has 23.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.

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have 35.0% less access to essential health services

Brazil scores 80 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 80.1% less likely to be unemployed

In Brazil, 6.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.

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make 78.3% less money

Brazil has a GDP per capita of $10,713 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.

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Life

have 72.5% more children

In Brazil, there are approximately 12.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 67.2% more likely to die during childbirth

In Brazil, approximately 67.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 20.2% less likely to be literate

In Brazil, the literacy rate is 94.7% as of 2024. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.

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be 2.2 times more likely to die during infancy

In Brazil, approximately 12.3 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.

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Basic Needs

be 22.3% less likely to have internet access

In Brazil, approximately 84.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 78.1% less on education

Brazil spends 5.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 86.3% less on healthcare

Brazil spends 9.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.

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Infrastructure

find 88.7% less home broadband

Brazil has 24.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.

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live with 3.2 times more strain on fresh water

Brazil withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.

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use 45.7% less electricity

Brazil uses 3,068 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

be 3.0 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Brazil, air pollution causes 23.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.

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emit 44.4% more CO2

Brazil emits 2.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

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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