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

Health

be 68.5% less likely to be obese

In Peru, 29.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.

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live 8.7 years less

In Peru, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 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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see 87.1% less spent on your healthcare

Peru spends $956 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.

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have 80.4% fewer doctors per person

Peru has 16.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.

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have 26.8% less access to essential health services

Peru scores 71 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.

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be 3.0 times more likely to die by suicide

Peru has a suicide rate of 1.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 76.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Peru, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.

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be 41.6% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Peru, 25.7% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.

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make 76.0% less money

Peru has a GDP per capita of $9,684 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.

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Life

have 32.9% more children

In Peru, there are approximately 15.8 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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be 2.2 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Peru, approximately 51.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 19.2% less likely to be literate

In Peru, the literacy rate is 93.7% as of 2024. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.

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be 2.5 times more likely to die during infancy

In Peru, approximately 11.0 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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Basic Needs

be 20.0% less likely to have internet access

In Peru, approximately 82.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 71.8% less on education

Peru spends 4.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 76.4% less on healthcare

Peru spends 5.6% 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 29.1% more likely to die in a road accident

In Peru, road accidents kill 12.7 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 76.7% less home broadband

Peru has 11.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.

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Environment

be 2.7 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Peru, air pollution causes 26.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.

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emit 65.8% more CO2

Peru emits 2.0 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 (2019–2021), 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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