Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Equatorial Guinea, you would:
Health
live 5.3 years longer
In Equatorial Guinea, 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.
be 52.2% less likely to be obese
In Equatorial Guinea, 19.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
have 2.2 times more doctors per person
Equatorial Guinea has 1.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 13.0% more access to essential health services
Equatorial Guinea scores 46 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
be 34.9% less likely to die by suicide
Equatorial Guinea has a suicide rate of 7.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 79.8% less spent on your healthcare
Equatorial Guinea spends $609 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
Economy
be 85.7% less likely to be unemployed
In Equatorial Guinea, 8.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 70.4% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Equatorial Guinea, 50.7% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 64.9% less money
Equatorial Guinea has a GDP per capita of $6,615 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
be 35.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Equatorial Guinea, approximately 174.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 42.9% less likely to die during infancy
In Equatorial Guinea, approximately 47.6 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 30.2% fewer children
In Equatorial Guinea, there are approximately 30.0 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 44.2% more likely to have access to electricity
In Equatorial Guinea, approximately 67% of people have electricity access (89% 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.
Expenditures
spend 62.0% less on healthcare
Equatorial Guinea spends 3.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 40.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Equatorial Guinea, road accidents kill 11.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 27.2 times more home broadband
Equatorial Guinea has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 2.1 times more electricity
Equatorial Guinea uses 792 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
live with 26.6 times more strain on fresh water
Equatorial Guinea withdraws 0% 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 Equatorial Guinea, air pollution causes 59.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 31.4% more CO2
Equatorial Guinea emits 2.5 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: Equatorial Guinea vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Equatorial Guinea? See an in-depth size comparison.