If you lived in Chile instead of Laos, you would:

Health

live 12.1 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Chile, that number is 81 years (79 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 29.3 times more spent on your healthcare

Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Chile spends $3,612 as of 2024.

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have 10.1 times more doctors per person

Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Chile has 33.3 as of 2023.

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have 57.7% more access to essential health services

Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Chile scores 82 as of 2021.

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be 4.4 times more likely to be obese

In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Chile, that number is 40.5% of people as of 2024.

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be 67.9% more likely to die by suicide

Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Chile, it is 7.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 56.7% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Laos, 15.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Chile, however, that number is 6.5% as of 2022.

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make 7.7 times more money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Chile, the GDP per capita is $17,995 as of 2025.

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be 7.5 times more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Chile, that number is 9.0% as of 2025.

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Life

be 91.1% less 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 Chile, 10.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 28.2% more likely to be literate

In Laos, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2023. In Chile, it is 97.0% as of 2021.

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be 78.7% less 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 Chile, on the other hand, 5.8 children do as of 2024.

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have 58.3% fewer children

In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Chile, there are 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 45.7% more likely to have internet access

In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Chile, about 95.6% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 4.0 times more on education

Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Chile spends 4.9% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 7.9 times more on healthcare

Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Chile, that number is 10.5% of GDP as of 2024.

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Safety

be 37.2% less likely to die in a road accident

In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Chile, they kill 10.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 8.7 times more home broadband

Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Chile has 23.7 as of 2024.

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use 2.6 times more electricity

Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Chile uses 4,373 kWh as of 2024.

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live with 87.5% more strain on fresh water

Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Chile withdraws 9% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 73.9% less likely to die from air pollution

In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Chile, it causes 18.0 as of 2019.

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emit 17.6% more CO2

Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Chile emits 3.9 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Chile: At a glance

Chile is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 743,812 sq km. Prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, the Inca ruled northern Chile while the Mapuche inhabited central and southern Chile. Although Chile declared its independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish was not achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-83), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its present northern regions. It was not until the 1880s that the Mapuche were brought under central government control. After a series of elected governments, the three-year-old Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown in 1973 by a military coup led by Augusto PINOCHET, who ruled until a freely elected president was inaugurated in 1990. Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s, contributed to steady growth, reduced poverty rates by over half, and helped secure the country's commitment to democratic and representative government. Chile has increasingly assumed regional and international leadership roles befitting its status as a stable, democratic nation. In January 2014, Chile assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2014-15 term.
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How big is Chile compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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