Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Jamaica, you would:
Health
be 63.6% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Jamaica, 1.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 0.4% of people as of 2024.
be 73.9% less likely to be obese
In Jamaica, 35.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
live 2.4 years less
In Jamaica, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 74 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 85.8% less spent on your healthcare
Jamaica spends $869 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 28.0% fewer doctors per person
Jamaica has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 29.7% less access to essential health services
Jamaica scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
be 2.7 times more likely to die by suicide
Jamaica has a suicide rate of 1.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 63.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Jamaica, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 92.3% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Jamaica, 7.8% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 71.0% less money
Jamaica has a GDP per capita of $8,003 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
have 82.8% more children
In Jamaica, there are approximately 11.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 65.9% more likely to die during infancy
In Jamaica, approximately 16.4 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 27.2% less likely to have internet access
In Jamaica, approximately 90.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 77.7% less on education
Jamaica spends 5.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 82.5% less on healthcare
Jamaica spends 7.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
live with 61.3% less strain on fresh water
Jamaica withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
use 38.2% more electricity
Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
find 83.0% less home broadband
Jamaica has 16.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
Environment
be 3.1 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Jamaica, air pollution causes 22.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 18.0% more CO2
Jamaica emits 2.8 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: Jamaica vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Jamaica? See an in-depth size comparison.