Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Burundi, you would:
Health
live 5.4 years longer
In Burundi, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
see 23.2% more spent on your healthcare
Burundi spends $100 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 4.2 times more doctors per person
Burundi has 0.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 26.8% more access to essential health services
Burundi scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
be 40.1% less likely to die by suicide
Burundi has a suicide rate of 7.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 77.2% more likely to be obese
In Burundi, 5.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 9.9 times more money
Burundi has a GDP per capita of $234 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
be 29.3% more likely to be unemployed
In Burundi, 0.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
Life
be 71.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Burundi, approximately 392.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 10.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Burundi, approximately 30.5 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 37.0% fewer children
In Burundi, there are approximately 33.2 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 8.3 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Burundi, approximately 12% of people have electricity access (65% 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 7.6 times more likely to have internet access
In Burundi, approximately 8.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
be 45.4% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Burundi, approximately 66% of people have access to drinking water (91% in urban areas, and 61% 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 72.7% less on education
Burundi spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2025. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 85.4% less on healthcare
Burundi spends 9.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 33.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Burundi, road accidents kill 12.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 136.0 times more home broadband
Burundi has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
live with 53.0% less strain on fresh water
Burundi withdraws 10% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 47.9 times more CO2
Burundi emits 0.1 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 (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Burundi vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Burundi? See an in-depth size comparison.