Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Djibouti instead of Laos, you would:
Health
see 25.8% more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Djibouti spends $155 as of 2023.
live 3.0 years less
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Djibouti, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.
be 26.9% more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Djibouti, that number is 11.7% of people as of 2024.
have 36.3% fewer doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Djibouti has 2.1 as of 2022.
have 15.4% less access to essential health services
Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Djibouti scores 44 as of 2021.
be 73.8% more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Djibouti, it is 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 68.0% more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Djibouti, the GDP per capita is $3,906 as of 2025.
be 21.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Djibouti, that number is 26.0% as of 2025.
Life
be 44.6% 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 Djibouti, 162.0 women do as of 2023.
be 58.1% 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 Djibouti, on the other hand, 43.0 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 32.4% 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 Djibouti, that number is 65% of people on average (75% in urban areas, and 37% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 16.9% 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 Djibouti, that number is 80% of people on average (84% in urban areas, and 62% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 71.4% more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Djibouti, that number is 2.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 42.1% more likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Djibouti, they kill 23.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 46.0% less home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Djibouti has 1.5 as of 2023.
live with 32.2% more strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Djibouti withdraws 6% as of 2022.
Environment
be 14.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Djibouti, it causes 59.0 as of 2019.
emit 77.0% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Djibouti emits 0.8 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: Laos vs. Djibouti
Djibouti: At a glance
How big is Djibouti compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.