Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Democratic Republic of the Congo, you would:
Health
live 7.1 years longer
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 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 2.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends $58 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 59.1% more doctors per person
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 23.8% more access to essential health services
Democratic Republic of the Congo scores 42 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
be 47.8% less likely to die by suicide
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a suicide rate of 8.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 37.2% more likely to be obese
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 6.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 73.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 4.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
make 2.9 times more money
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a GDP per capita of $807 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
be 73.8% less likely to die during childbirth
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 427.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 10.4% more likely to be literate
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the literacy rate is 68.5% as of 2023. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
be 51.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 56.4 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 48.8% fewer children
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are approximately 40.9 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 22% of people have electricity access (56% in urban areas, and 1% 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 3.3 times more likely to have internet access
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 19.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
be 2.7 times more likely to have access to drinking water
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 36% of people have access to drinking water (59% in urban areas, and 14% 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 56.7% less on education
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 63.9% less on healthcare
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 90.7 times more home broadband
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 13.0 times more electricity
Democratic Republic of the Congo uses 129 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
live with 20.8 times more strain on fresh water
Democratic Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 55.8 times more CO2
Democratic Republic of the Congo 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), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Democratic Republic of the Congo vs. Laos
MORE COMPARISONS
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Democratic Republic of the Congo? See an in-depth size comparison.