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

Health

live 8.7 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Peru, that number is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 7.8 times more spent on your healthcare

Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Peru spends $956 as of 2023.

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have 5.1 times more doctors per person

Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Peru has 16.9 as of 2023.

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have 36.5% more access to essential health services

Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Peru scores 71 as of 2021.

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be 66.4% less likely to die by suicide

Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Peru, it is 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 3.2 times more likely to be obese

In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Peru, that number is 29.1% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

make 4.2 times more money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Peru, the GDP per capita is $9,684 as of 2025.

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be 4.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Peru, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.

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be 71.3% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Laos, 15.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Peru, however, that number is 25.7% as of 2025.

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Life

be 54.5% less 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 Peru, 51.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 23.8% more likely to be literate

In Laos, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2023. In Peru, it is 93.7% as of 2024.

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be 59.6% less 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 Peru, on the other hand, 11.0 children do as of 2024.

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have 24.7% fewer children

In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Peru, there are 15.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 25.0% more likely to have internet access

In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Peru, about 82.0% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 3.5 times more on education

Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Peru spends 4.4% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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spend 4.2 times more on healthcare

Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Peru, that number is 5.6% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 22.6% less likely to die in a road accident

In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Peru, they kill 12.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 4.3 times more home broadband

Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Peru has 11.7 as of 2024.

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Environment

be 62.3% less likely to die from air pollution

In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Peru, it causes 26.0 as of 2019.

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emit 39.7% less CO2

Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Peru emits 2.0 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Peru: At a glance

Peru is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 1,279,996 sq km. Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces were defeated in 1824. After a dozen years of military rule, Peru returned to democratic leadership in 1980, but experienced economic problems and the growth of a violent insurgency. President Alberto FUJIMORI's election in 1990 ushered in a decade that saw a dramatic turnaround in the economy and significant progress in curtailing guerrilla activity. Nevertheless, the president's increasing reliance on authoritarian measures and an economic slump in the late 1990s generated mounting dissatisfaction with his regime, which led to his resignation in 2000. A caretaker government oversaw new elections in the spring of 2001, which installed Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique as the new head of government - Peru's first democratically elected president of indigenous ethnicity. The presidential election of 2006 saw the return of Alan GARCIA Perez who, after a disappointing presidential term from 1985 to 1990, oversaw a robust economic rebound. In June 2011, former army officer Ollanta HUMALA Tasso was elected president, defeating Keiko FUJIMORI Higuchi, the daughter of Alberto FUJIMORI. Since his election, HUMALA has carried on the sound, market-oriented economic policies of the three preceding administrations.
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