Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Ecuador, you would:
Health
be 68.3% less likely to be obese
In Ecuador, 28.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 39.4% less likely to die by suicide
Ecuador 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.
live 8.4 years less
In Ecuador, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 80 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 90.0% less spent on your healthcare
Ecuador spends $1,238 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 85.7% fewer doctors per person
Ecuador has 23.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 32.5% less access to essential health services
Ecuador scores 77 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 64.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Ecuador, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 29.9% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Ecuador, 21.4% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 67.4% less money
Ecuador has a GDP per capita of $7,125 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 41.2% more children
In Ecuador, there are approximately 14.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Ecuador, approximately 55.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 19.1% less likely to be literate
In Ecuador, the literacy rate is 93.5% as of 2024. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
be 2.5 times more likely to die during infancy
In Ecuador, approximately 10.9 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 15.0% less likely to have internet access
In Ecuador, approximately 77.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 66.7% less on education
Ecuador spends 3.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 82.4% less on healthcare
Ecuador spends 7.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 29.9% less likely to die in a road accident
In Ecuador, road accidents kill 23.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 29.4% less strain on fresh water
Ecuador withdraws 7% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
find 84.2% less home broadband
Ecuador has 17.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
Environment
be 3.0 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Ecuador, air pollution causes 23.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 26.9% more CO2
Ecuador emits 2.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Ecuador vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Ecuador? See an in-depth size comparison.