Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Republic of the Congo, you would:
Health
be 87.5% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Republic of the Congo, 3.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 0.4% of people as of 2024.
live 3.2 years longer
In Republic of the Congo, the average life expectancy is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 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 24.8% less likely to be obese
In Republic of the Congo, 12.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
have 91.3% more doctors per person
Republic of the Congo has 1.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
have 26.8% more access to essential health services
Republic of the Congo scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Laos scores 52 as of 2021.
be 31.7% less likely to die by suicide
Republic of the Congo has a suicide rate of 6.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 41.0% less spent on your healthcare
Republic of the Congo spends $209 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
Economy
be 94.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Republic of the Congo, 19.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
Life
be 53.5% less likely to die during childbirth
In Republic of the Congo, approximately 241.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
have 31.2% fewer children
In Republic of the Congo, there are approximately 30.4 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 88.1% more likely to have access to electricity
In Republic of the Congo, approximately 51% of people have electricity access (69% in urban areas, and 11% 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 38.8% more likely to have internet access
In Republic of the Congo, approximately 47.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
be 30.4% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Republic of the Congo, approximately 73% of people have access to drinking water (87% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Laos, that number is 96% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 63.2% less on education
Republic of the Congo spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 59.7% less on healthcare
Republic of the Congo spends 3.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 95.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Republic of the Congo, road accidents kill 8.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.1 times more home broadband
Republic of the Congo has 1.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 4.9 times more electricity
Republic of the Congo uses 338 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
live with 159.7 times more strain on fresh water
Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 2.5 times more CO2
Republic of the Congo emits 1.3 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: Republic of the Congo vs. Laos
MORE COMPARISONS
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Republic of the Congo? See an in-depth size comparison.