Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Equatorial Guinea instead of Laos, you would:
Health
see 4.9 times more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Equatorial Guinea spends $609 as of 2023.
live 5.3 years less
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.1 times more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 19.2% of people as of 2024.
have 53.8% fewer doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Equatorial Guinea has 1.5 as of 2022.
have 11.5% less access to essential health services
Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Equatorial Guinea scores 46 as of 2021.
be 53.5% more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Equatorial Guinea, it is 7.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 2.8 times more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Equatorial Guinea, the GDP per capita is $6,615 as of 2025.
be 7.0 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 8.3% as of 2025.
be 3.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Laos, 15.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Equatorial Guinea, however, that number is 50.7% as of 2022.
Life
have 43.3% more children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Equatorial Guinea, there are 30.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 55.4% 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 Equatorial Guinea, 174.0 women do as of 2023.
be 75.0% 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 Equatorial Guinea, on the other hand, 47.6 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 30.7% 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 Equatorial Guinea, that number is 67% of people on average (89% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 2.6 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Equatorial Guinea, that number is 3.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 28.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Equatorial Guinea, they kill 11.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 96.2% less strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Equatorial Guinea withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 96.3% less home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Equatorial Guinea has 0.1 as of 2022.
use 52.4% less electricity
Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Equatorial Guinea uses 792 kWh as of 2023.
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 Equatorial Guinea, it causes 59.0 as of 2019.
emit 23.9% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Equatorial Guinea emits 2.5 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. Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea: At a glance
How big is Equatorial Guinea compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.