Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Republic of the Congo instead of Laos, you would:
Health
see 69.5% more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Republic of the Congo spends $209 as of 2023.
be 8.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Laos, 0.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 3.2% of people as of 2024.
live 3.2 years less
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
be 32.9% more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 12.2% of people as of 2024.
have 47.7% fewer doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Republic of the Congo has 1.7 as of 2022.
have 21.2% less access to essential health services
Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Republic of the Congo scores 41 as of 2021.
be 46.5% more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Republic of the Congo, it is 6.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 16.7 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 19.9% as of 2025.
Life
have 45.3% more children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, there are 30.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.2 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 Republic of the Congo, 241.0 women do as of 2023.
Basic Needs
be 46.8% 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 Republic of the Congo, that number is 51% of people on average (69% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 28.0% less likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, about 47.2% do as of 2024.
be 23.3% 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 Republic of the Congo, that number is 73% of people on average (87% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2021.
Expenditures
spend 2.7 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Republic of the Congo spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.5 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 3.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 48.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Republic of the Congo, they kill 8.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 99.4% less strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 53.3% less home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Republic of the Congo has 1.3 as of 2023.
use 79.7% less electricity
Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Republic of the Congo uses 338 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 60.0% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Republic of the Congo emits 1.3 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. Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo: At a glance
How big is Republic of the Congo compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.