Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Mali, you would:
Health
live 8.5 years longer
In Mali, the average life expectancy is 61 years (59 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
be 30.9% less likely to be obese
In Mali, 13.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
see 18.6% more spent on your healthcare
Mali spends $104 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 76.1% more doctors per person
Mali has 1.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 26.8% more access to essential health services
Mali scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
be 10.1% more likely to die by suicide
Mali has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 58.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Mali, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 67.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Mali, 45.5% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 94.8% more money
Mali has a GDP per capita of $1,193 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
be 69.5% less likely to die during childbirth
In Mali, approximately 367.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.1 times more likely to be literate
In Mali, the literacy rate is 35.6% as of 2024. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
be 42.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Mali, approximately 47.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Laos, on the other hand, 27.2 children do as of 2024.
have 47.1% fewer children
In Mali, there are approximately 39.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 77.1% more likely to have access to electricity
In Mali, approximately 54% of people have electricity access (92% in urban areas, and 23% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 96% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 78.2% more likely to have internet access
In Mali, approximately 36.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
be 11.0% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Mali, approximately 86% of people have access to drinking water (94% in urban areas, and 80% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 96% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 70.6% less on education
Mali spends 4.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 65.1% less on healthcare
Mali spends 3.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 18.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Mali, road accidents kill 20.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.5 times more home broadband
Mali has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
live with 40.1% less strain on fresh water
Mali withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 11.2 times more CO2
Mali emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Mali vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Mali? See an in-depth size comparison.