Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Djibouti, you would:
Health
live 3.0 years longer
In Djibouti, the average life expectancy is 66 years (64 years for men, 69 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 21.2% less likely to be obese
In Djibouti, 11.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
have 56.9% more doctors per person
Djibouti has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 18.2% more access to essential health services
Djibouti scores 44 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
be 42.5% less likely to die by suicide
Djibouti has a suicide rate of 8.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 20.5% less spent on your healthcare
Djibouti spends $155 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
Economy
be 95.4% less likely to be unemployed
In Djibouti, 26.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
make 40.5% less money
Djibouti has a GDP per capita of $3,906 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
be 30.9% less likely to die during childbirth
In Djibouti, approximately 162.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 36.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Djibouti, approximately 43.0 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.
Basic Needs
be 48.0% more likely to have access to electricity
In Djibouti, approximately 65% of people have electricity access (75% in urban areas, and 37% 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 20.3% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Djibouti, approximately 80% of people have access to drinking water (84% in urban areas, and 62% 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 41.7% less on healthcare
Djibouti spends 2.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 29.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In Djibouti, road accidents kill 23.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 85.0% more home broadband
Djibouti has 1.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
live with 24.3% less strain on fresh water
Djibouti withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
Environment
be 16.9% more likely to die from air pollution
In Djibouti, air pollution causes 59.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.4 times more CO2
Djibouti emits 0.8 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: Djibouti vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Djibouti? See an in-depth size comparison.