Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Madagascar instead of Laos, you would:
Health
be 50.9% less likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Madagascar, that number is 4.5% of people as of 2024.
live 5.4 years less
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Madagascar, that number is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024.
see 49.0% less spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Madagascar spends $63 as of 2023.
have 48.0% fewer doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Madagascar has 1.7 as of 2022.
have 32.7% less access to essential health services
Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Madagascar scores 35 as of 2021.
be 33.0% more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Madagascar, it is 6.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Madagascar, that number is 3.0% as of 2025.
be 5.0 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Laos, 15.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Madagascar, however, that number is 75.2% as of 2021.
make 74.2% less money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Madagascar, the GDP per capita is $599 as of 2025.
Life
have 51.5% more children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Madagascar, there are 31.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 4.0 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 Madagascar, 445.0 women do as of 2023.
be 58.1% 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 Madagascar, on the other hand, 43.0 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 59.2% 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 Madagascar, that number is 39% of people on average (76% in urban areas, and 15% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 71.5% less likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Madagascar, about 18.7% do as of 2024.
be 42.3% 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 Madagascar, that number is 55% of people on average (78% in urban areas, and 39% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.5 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Madagascar spends 3.0% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.6 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Madagascar, that number is 3.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 37.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Madagascar, they kill 22.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 95.6% less home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Madagascar has 0.1 as of 2023.
live with 2.4 times more strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Madagascar withdraws 11% as of 2022.
use 95.2% less electricity
Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Madagascar uses 80 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 15.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Madagascar, it causes 58.0 as of 2019.
emit 95.5% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Madagascar 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. Madagascar
Madagascar: At a glance
How big is Madagascar compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.