Quality of life comparison
If you lived in El Salvador instead of Laos, you would:
Health
live 3.1 years longer
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In El Salvador, that number is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024.
see 9.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). El Salvador spends $1,176 as of 2023.
have 4.9 times more doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. El Salvador has 16.2 as of 2023.
have 50.0% more access to essential health services
Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. El Salvador scores 78 as of 2021.
be 3.5 times more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In El Salvador, that number is 32.2% of people as of 2024.
be 66.6% more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In El Salvador, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 2.5 times more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in El Salvador, the GDP per capita is $5,767 as of 2025.
be 2.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In El Salvador, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
be 81.3% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Laos, 15.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In El Salvador, however, that number is 27.2% as of 2023.
Life
be 65.2% 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 El Salvador, 39.0 women do as of 2023.
be 18.7% more likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2023. In El Salvador, it is 89.8% as of 2024.
be 67.6% 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 El Salvador, on the other hand, 8.8 children do as of 2024.
have 25.5% fewer children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In El Salvador, there are 15.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.7 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. El Salvador spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 7.0 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In El Salvador, that number is 9.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 31.1% more likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In El Salvador, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.6 times more home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. El Salvador has 12.5 as of 2024.
live with 2.5 times more strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. El Salvador withdraws 12% as of 2022.
use 31.7% less electricity
Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. El Salvador uses 1,137 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 55.1% less likely to die from air pollution
In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In El Salvador, it causes 31.0 as of 2019.
emit 54.9% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. El Salvador emits 1.5 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. El Salvador
El Salvador: At a glance
How big is El Salvador compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.