Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Senegal instead of Laos, you would:
Health
see 66.8% more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Senegal spends $206 as of 2023.
be 26.3% more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Senegal, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
have 67.1% fewer doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Senegal has 1.1 as of 2023.
be 47.6% more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Senegal, it is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Senegal, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.
be 2.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Laos, 15.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Senegal, however, that number is 37.5% as of 2021.
make 15.9% less money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in Senegal, the GDP per capita is $1,955 as of 2025.
Life
have 39.4% more children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Senegal, there are 29.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.1 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 Senegal, 237.0 women do as of 2023.
be 33.4% less likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2023. In Senegal, it is 50.4% as of 2023.
Basic Needs
be 23.1% 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 Senegal, that number is 74% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 5.0 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Senegal spends 6.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 3.2 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Senegal, that number is 4.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 26.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Senegal, they kill 20.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 48.5% more home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Senegal has 4.0 as of 2024.
live with 3.4 times more strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Senegal withdraws 16% as of 2022.
use 75.4% less electricity
Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Senegal uses 410 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 77.0% less CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Senegal emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Laos vs. Senegal
Senegal: At a glance
How big is Senegal compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.