If you lived in Laos instead of Mozambique, you would:

Health

be 96.5% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Mozambique, 11.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 0.4% of people as of 2024.

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live 5.4 years longer

In Mozambique, the average life expectancy is 64 years (60 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 13.8% less likely to be obese

In Mozambique, 10.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.

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have 89.1% more doctors per person

Mozambique has 1.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.

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have 18.2% more access to essential health services

Mozambique scores 44 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.

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be 56.8% less likely to die by suicide

Mozambique has a suicide rate of 10.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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see 13.6% less spent on your healthcare

Mozambique spends $143 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.

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Economy

be 82.1% less likely to be unemployed

In Mozambique, 6.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.

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be 76.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Mozambique, 65.0% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.

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make 3.7 times more money

Mozambique has a GDP per capita of $627 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.

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Life

be 22.7% more likely to be literate

In Mozambique, the literacy rate is 61.7% as of 2022. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.

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be 37.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Mozambique, approximately 43.7 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.

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have 43.5% fewer children

In Mozambique, there are approximately 37.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Laos, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 2.7 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Mozambique, approximately 36% of people have electricity access (79% in urban areas, and 9% 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.

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be 3.2 times more likely to have internet access

In Mozambique, approximately 20.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.

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be 43.9% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Mozambique, approximately 67% of people have access to drinking water (89% in urban areas, and 52% 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.

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Expenditures

spend 79.4% less on education

Mozambique spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 84.4% less on healthcare

Mozambique spends 8.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 18.4% less likely to die in a road accident

In Mozambique, road accidents kill 20.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 19.4 times more home broadband

Mozambique has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.

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use 4.3 times more electricity

Mozambique uses 391 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.

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live with 2.7 times more strain on fresh water

Mozambique withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 11.6 times more CO2

Mozambique emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Laos: At a glance

Laos is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 230,800 sq km. Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th century under King FA NGUM. For 300 years Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the communist Pathet Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. A gradual, limited return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1988. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997 and the WTO in 2013.
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