Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of El Salvador, you would:
Health
be 71.5% less likely to be obese
In El Salvador, 32.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 40.0% less likely to die by suicide
El Salvador 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 3.1 years less
In El Salvador, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 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 89.5% less spent on your healthcare
El Salvador spends $1,176 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 79.5% fewer doctors per person
El Salvador has 16.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 33.3% less access to essential health services
El Salvador scores 78 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 63.9% less likely to be unemployed
In El Salvador, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 44.9% less likely to live below the poverty line
In El Salvador, 27.2% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 59.7% less money
El Salvador has a GDP per capita of $5,767 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 34.2% more children
In El Salvador, there are approximately 15.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.9 times more likely to die during childbirth
In El Salvador, approximately 39.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 15.7% less likely to be literate
In El Salvador, the literacy rate is 89.8% as of 2024. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
be 3.1 times more likely to die during infancy
In El Salvador, approximately 8.8 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.
Expenditures
spend 63.0% less on education
El Salvador spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 85.7% less on healthcare
El Salvador spends 9.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 23.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In El Salvador, road accidents kill 21.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 60.4% less strain on fresh water
El Salvador withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
use 46.4% more electricity
El Salvador uses 1,137 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
find 78.2% less home broadband
El Salvador has 12.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
Environment
be 2.2 times more likely to die from air pollution
In El Salvador, air pollution causes 31.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.2 times more CO2
El Salvador emits 1.5 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: El Salvador vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to El Salvador? See an in-depth size comparison.