Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Guatemala, you would:
Health
be 67.2% less likely to be obese
In Guatemala, 28.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
live 3.5 years less
In Guatemala, the average life expectancy is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 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 86.8% less spent on your healthcare
Guatemala spends $935 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 74.2% fewer doctors per person
Guatemala has 12.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 11.9% less access to essential health services
Guatemala scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 54.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Guatemala, 2.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 73.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Guatemala, 56.0% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 64.8% less money
Guatemala has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
be 19.1% more likely to die during childbirth
In Guatemala, approximately 94.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 58.1% more likely to die during infancy
In Guatemala, approximately 17.2 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 60.1% less on education
Guatemala spends 3.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 80.4% less on healthcare
Guatemala spends 6.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 30.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Guatemala, road accidents kill 12.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 16.6% less strain on fresh water
Guatemala withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
use 2.3 times more electricity
Guatemala uses 733 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
find 49.1% less home broadband
Guatemala has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
Environment
be 72.5% more likely to die from air pollution
In Guatemala, air pollution causes 40.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.0 times more CO2
Guatemala emits 1.1 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: Guatemala vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Guatemala? See an in-depth size comparison.