Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Central African Republic instead of Laos, you would:
Health
see 10.9% more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Central African Republic spends $137 as of 2023.
be 6.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Laos, 0.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Central African Republic, that number is 2.4% of people as of 2024.
live 11.5 years less
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Central African Republic, that number is 58 years (56 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2024.
be 19.1% more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Central African Republic, that number is 10.9% of people as of 2024.
have 77.6% fewer doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Central African Republic has 0.7 as of 2023.
have 38.5% less access to essential health services
Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Central African Republic scores 32 as of 2021.
be 2.0 times more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Central African Republic, it is 9.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 5.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Central African Republic, that number is 6.2% as of 2025.
be 4.6 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Laos, 15.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Central African Republic, however, that number is 68.8% as of 2021.
make 76.1% less money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Central African Republic, the GDP per capita is $556 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.2 times more children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Central African Republic, there are 46.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 6.2 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 Central African Republic, 692.0 women do as of 2023.
be 50.4% less likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2023. In Central African Republic, it is 37.5% as of 2020.
be 2.2 times 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 Central African Republic, on the other hand, 58.8 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 81.8% 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 Central African Republic, that number is 18% of people on average (37% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 79.0% less likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Central African Republic, about 13.8% do as of 2024.
be 61.9% 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 Central African Republic, that number is 36% of people on average (48% in urban areas, and 27% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 48.8% more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Central African Republic spends 1.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 8.0 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Central African Republic, that number is 10.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 57.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Central African Republic, they kill 25.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 92.9% less strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Central African Republic withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 99.3% less home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Central African Republic has 0.0 as of 2022.
Environment
emit 98.2% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Central African Republic emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
be 42.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Central African Republic, it causes 98.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
Compare further: Laos vs. Central African Republic
Central African Republic: At a glance
How big is Central African Republic compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.