Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Laos, you would:
Health
be 63.7 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Laos, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In South Africa, that number is 19.1% of people as of 2020.
live 2.8 years less
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022.
be 5.3 times more likely to be obese
In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In South Africa, that number is 28.3% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 47.4% more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $7,800 as of 2020, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $11,500 as of 2020.
be 40.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 0.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In South Africa, that number is 28.5% as of 2019.
pay a 87.5% higher top tax rate
Laos has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In South Africa, the top tax rate is 45.0% as of 2017.
Life
be 35.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Laos, approximately 185.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In South Africa, 119.0 women do as of 2017.
be 12.2% more likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 84.7% as of 2015. In South Africa, it is 95.0% as of 2019.
be 31.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Laos, approximately 37.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In South Africa, on the other hand, 25.9 children do as of 2022.
have 11.2% fewer children
In Laos, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In South Africa, there are 18.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.
Basic Needs
be 2.1 times more likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 34.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In South Africa, about 70.0% do as of 2020.
Expenditures
spend 2.3 times more on education
Laos spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2014. South Africa spends 6.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 3.5 times more on healthcare
Laos spends 2.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In South Africa, that number is 9.1% of GDP as of 2019.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, South African Revenue Service.
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.