Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Ethiopia instead of Laos, you would:
Health
be 68.2% less likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.9% of people as of 2024.
live 1.6 years less
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
see 30.4% less spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ethiopia spends $86 as of 2023.
have 56.8% fewer doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Ethiopia has 1.4 as of 2023.
have 32.7% less access to essential health services
Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ethiopia scores 35 as of 2021.
be 32.5% more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ethiopia, it is 6.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
be 2.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Laos, 15.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Ethiopia, however, that number is 33.1% as of 2021.
make 59.9% less money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $933 as of 2025.
Life
have 50.4% more children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ethiopia, there are 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 74.1% 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 Ethiopia, 195.0 women do as of 2023.
be 20.1% less likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2023. In Ethiopia, it is 60.5% as of 2022.
be 26.8% 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 Ethiopia, on the other hand, 34.5 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 42.6% 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 Ethiopia, that number is 55% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 66.5% less likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ethiopia, about 21.9% do as of 2024.
be 42.0% 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 Ethiopia, that number is 56% of people on average (83% in urban areas, and 47% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 87.0% more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Ethiopia spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 2.1 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 78.3% less home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Ethiopia has 0.6 as of 2024.
live with 6.7 times more strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ethiopia withdraws 32% as of 2022.
use 93.2% less electricity
Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Ethiopia uses 113 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 33.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ethiopia, it causes 46.0 as of 2019.
emit 95.5% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ethiopia emits 0.1 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. Ethiopia
Ethiopia: At a glance
How big is Ethiopia compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.