Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Burkina Faso, you would:
Health
live 7.9 years longer
In Burkina Faso, the average life expectancy is 61 years (59 years for men, 63 years for women) as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
have 2.2 times more doctors per person
Burkina Faso has 1.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 30.0% more access to essential health services
Burkina Faso scores 40 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
be 46.1% less likely to die by suicide
Burkina Faso has a suicide rate of 8.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 19.4% more likely to be obese
In Burkina Faso, 7.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
see 44.9% less spent on your healthcare
Burkina Faso spends $224 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
Economy
be 65.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Burkina Faso, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 65.3% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Burkina Faso, 43.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 2.0 times more money
Burkina Faso has a GDP per capita of $1,148 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
be 53.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Burkina Faso, approximately 242.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 82.0% more likely to be literate
In Burkina Faso, the literacy rate is 41.6% as of 2023. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
be 37.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Burkina Faso, approximately 43.6 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 33.2% fewer children
In Burkina Faso, there are approximately 31.3 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 4.4 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Burkina Faso, approximately 22% of people have electricity access (63% in urban areas, and 2% 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 2.3 times more likely to have internet access
In Burkina Faso, approximately 28.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
be 91.7% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Burkina Faso, approximately 50% of people have access to drinking water (81% in urban areas, and 34% 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 76.9% less on education
Burkina Faso spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 82.9% less on healthcare
Burkina Faso spends 7.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 41.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Burkina Faso, road accidents kill 27.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.2 times more home broadband
Burkina Faso has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
live with 38.7% less strain on fresh water
Burkina Faso withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
use 12.5 times more electricity
Burkina Faso uses 133 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 17.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Burkina Faso, air pollution causes 84.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 12.4 times more CO2
Burkina Faso emits 0.3 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: Burkina Faso vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Burkina Faso? See an in-depth size comparison.