Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Gambia instead of Laos, you would:
Health
be 3.2 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Laos, 0.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 1.3% of people as of 2024.
live 3.2 years less
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
be 35.0% more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 12.4% of people as of 2024.
see 23.6% less spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Gambia spends $94 as of 2023.
have 72.8% fewer doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Gambia has 0.9 as of 2023.
have 11.5% less access to essential health services
Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Gambia scores 46 as of 2021.
Economy
be 5.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Gambia, that number is 6.5% as of 2025.
make 60.5% less money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Gambia, the GDP per capita is $919 as of 2025.
Life
have 42.7% more children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Gambia, there are 29.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.2 times 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 Gambia, 354.0 women do as of 2023.
be 31.7% less likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2023. In Gambia, it is 51.6% as of 2021.
be 20.2% 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 Gambia, on the other hand, 32.7 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 Gambia, that number is 67% of people on average (85% in urban areas, and 35% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 24.5% less likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Gambia, about 49.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.3 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Gambia spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.2 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Gambia, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 34.1% more likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Gambia, they kill 22.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 53.9% less strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Gambia withdraws 2% as of 2022.
find 80.9% less home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Gambia has 0.5 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 94.6% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Gambia emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
be 30.4% more likely to die from air pollution
In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Gambia, it causes 90.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Laos vs. Gambia
Gambia: At a glance
How big is Gambia compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.