Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Guatemala instead of Laos, you would:

Health

live 4.8 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Guatemala, that number is 73 years (71 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2022.

be 4.0 times more likely to be obese

In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Guatemala, that number is 21.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

pay a 70.8% lower top tax rate

Laos has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In Guatemala, the top tax rate is 7.0% as of 2016.

be 3.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 0.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In Guatemala, that number is 2.3% as of 2017.

be 3.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Laos, 18.3% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Guatemala, however, that number is 59.3% as of 2014.

Life

be 48.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In Laos, approximately 185.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Guatemala, 95.0 women do as of 2017.

be 30.7% less likely to die during infancy

In Laos, approximately 37.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Guatemala, on the other hand, 26.2 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 47.1% more likely to have internet access

In Laos, approximately 34.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Guatemala, about 50.0% do as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 13.8% more on education

Laos spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2014. Guatemala spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 2.4 times more on healthcare

Laos spends 2.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Guatemala, that number is 6.2% of GDP as of 2019.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Superintendence of the Tax Administration.

Guatemala: At a glance

Guatemala is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 107,159 sq km. The Maya civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the internal conflict, which had left more than 200,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, about 1 million refugees.
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How big is Guatemala compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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