Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Mali instead of Laos, you would:
Health
live 8.5 years less
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Mali, that number is 61 years (59 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024.
be 44.8% more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Mali, that number is 13.3% of people as of 2024.
see 15.7% less spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Mali spends $104 as of 2023.
have 43.2% fewer doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Mali has 1.9 as of 2023.
have 21.2% less access to essential health services
Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Mali scores 41 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Mali, that number is 2.8% as of 2025.
be 3.0 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Laos, 15.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Mali, however, that number is 45.5% as of 2021.
make 48.7% less money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Mali, the GDP per capita is $1,193 as of 2025.
Life
have 88.9% more children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Mali, there are 39.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.3 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 Mali, 367.0 women do as of 2023.
be 52.9% less likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2023. In Mali, it is 35.6% as of 2024.
be 74.6% 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 Mali, on the other hand, 47.5 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 43.5% 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 Mali, that number is 54% of people on average (92% in urban areas, and 23% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 43.9% less likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Mali, about 36.8% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 3.4 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Mali spends 4.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.9 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Mali, that number is 3.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 23.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Mali, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 71.7% less home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Mali has 0.8 as of 2022.
live with 67.0% more strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Mali withdraws 8% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 91.0% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Mali emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Laos vs. Mali
Mali: At a glance
How big is Mali compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.