Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Lesotho instead of Laos, you would:
Health
see 3.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Lesotho spends $386 as of 2023.
be 42.8 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Laos, 0.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Lesotho, that number is 17.1% of people as of 2024.
live 11.4 years less
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Lesotho, that number is 58 years (55 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.4 times more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Lesotho, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2024.
have 29.0% fewer doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Lesotho has 2.4 as of 2022.
be 6.3 times more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Lesotho, it is 28.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 13.7 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Lesotho, that number is 16.3% as of 2025.
make 53.2% less money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Lesotho, the GDP per capita is $1,089 as of 2025.
Life
be 19.6% more likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2023. In Lesotho, it is 90.5% as of 2024.
have 13.5% more children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Lesotho, there are 23.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 4.3 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 Lesotho, 478.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.1 times 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 Lesotho, on the other hand, 56.3 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 40.6% 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 Lesotho, that number is 57% of people on average (85% in urban areas, and 45% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 21.0% less likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Lesotho, about 51.8% do as of 2024.
be 18.5% 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 Lesotho, that number is 78% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 5.4 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Lesotho spends 6.6% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 9.5 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Lesotho, that number is 12.6% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 31.7% more likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Lesotho, they kill 21.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 46.3% less strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Lesotho withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 86.0% less home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Lesotho has 0.4 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 87.2% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Lesotho emits 0.4 tonnes as of 2024.
be 44.9% more likely to die from air pollution
In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Lesotho, it causes 100.0 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. Lesotho
Lesotho: At a glance
How big is Lesotho compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.