Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Laos, you would:
Health
see 11.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Laos spends $123 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 2.4 times more doctors per person
Laos has 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 36.5% more access to essential health services
Laos scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 43.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Laos, 0.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 2.9 years less
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.
be 3.5 times more likely to be obese
In Laos, 9.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 4.9 times more likely to die by suicide
Laos has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 2.8 times more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $2,325 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 27.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 1.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% 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 South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
Life
be 20.5% more likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2023. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 11.0% 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 South Africa, on the other hand, 24.2 children do as of 2024.
have 11.7% fewer children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 19.5% more likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 65.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 4.9 times more on education
Laos spends 1.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 6.7 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 1.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 49.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In Laos, road accidents kill 16.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 96.7% more home broadband
Laos has 2.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 95.1% more electricity
Laos uses 1,665 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
live with 14.1 times more strain on fresh water
Laos withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 31.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Laos, air pollution causes 69.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.1 times more CO2
Laos emits 3.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 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. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.