Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Burundi instead of Laos, you would:
Health
be 43.6% less likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Burundi, that number is 5.2% of people as of 2024.
live 5.4 years less
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Burundi, that number is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024.
see 18.8% less spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Burundi spends $100 as of 2023.
have 76.4% fewer doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Burundi has 0.8 as of 2022.
have 21.2% less access to essential health services
Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Burundi scores 41 as of 2021.
be 67.0% more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Burundi, it is 7.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 22.7% less likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Burundi, that number is 0.9% as of 2025.
make 89.9% less money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Burundi, the GDP per capita is $234 as of 2025.
Life
have 58.7% more children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burundi, there are 33.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.5 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Laos, approximately 112.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Burundi, 392.0 women do as of 2023.
be 12.1% more likely to die during infancy
In Laos, approximately 27.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Burundi, on the other hand, 30.5 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 88.0% less likely to have access to electricity
In Laos, approximately 96% of people have electricity access (99% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Burundi, that number is 12% of people on average (65% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 86.9% less likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Burundi, about 8.6% do as of 2024.
be 31.2% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Laos, approximately 96% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Burundi, that number is 66% of people on average (91% in urban areas, and 61% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 3.7 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Burundi spends 4.5% of total GDP on education as of 2025.
spend 6.8 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Burundi, that number is 9.1% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 25.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Burundi, they kill 12.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 99.3% less home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Burundi has 0.0 as of 2023.
live with 2.1 times more strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Burundi withdraws 10% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 97.9% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Burundi emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Laos vs. Burundi
Burundi: At a glance
How big is Burundi compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.