Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Namibia, you would:
Health
be 95.6% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Namibia, 9.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 0.4% of people as of 2024.
live 1.7 years longer
In Namibia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (63 years for men, 71 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 49.7% less likely to be obese
In Namibia, 18.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 46.7% less likely to die by suicide
Namibia has a suicide rate of 8.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 88.5% less spent on your healthcare
Namibia spends $1,068 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 40.1% fewer doctors per person
Namibia has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 17.5% less access to essential health services
Namibia scores 63 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 93.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Namibia, 19.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
make 52.3% less money
Namibia has a GDP per capita of $4,876 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
be 19.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Namibia, approximately 139.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 25.3% less likely to die during infancy
In Namibia, approximately 36.4 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.
be 13.7% less likely to be literate
In Namibia, the literacy rate is 87.6% as of 2023. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
have 19.2% fewer children
In Namibia, there are approximately 25.9 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 70.2% more likely to have access to electricity
In Namibia, approximately 57% of people have electricity access (75% in urban areas, and 34% 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 10.8% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Namibia, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water (96% in urban areas, and 74% 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 86.5% less on education
Namibia spends 9.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 86.0% less on healthcare
Namibia spends 9.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 25.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Namibia, road accidents kill 22.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 35.1% more electricity
Namibia uses 1,232 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
live with 15.5 times more strain on fresh water
Namibia withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
Environment
be 60.5% more likely to die from air pollution
In Namibia, air pollution causes 43.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.8 times more CO2
Namibia emits 1.2 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 (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Namibia vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Namibia? See an in-depth size comparison.