Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Rwanda, you would:
Health
be 80.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Rwanda, 2.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 0.4% of people as of 2024.
live 1.2 years longer
In Rwanda, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
have 3.7 times more doctors per person
Rwanda has 0.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
be 47.2% less likely to die by suicide
Rwanda has a suicide rate of 8.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 64.5% more likely to be obese
In Rwanda, 5.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
see 30.4% less spent on your healthcare
Rwanda spends $177 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
Economy
be 89.5% less likely to be unemployed
In Rwanda, 11.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 45.3% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Rwanda, 27.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 2.1 times more money
Rwanda has a GDP per capita of $1,124 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
be 51.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Rwanda, approximately 229.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
have 25.4% fewer children
In Rwanda, there are approximately 28.1 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 51.0% more likely to have access to electricity
In Rwanda, approximately 64% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 58% 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 2.1 times more likely to have internet access
In Rwanda, approximately 31.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
be 56.1% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Rwanda, approximately 61% of people have access to drinking water (88% in urban areas, and 56% 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 73.3% less on education
Rwanda spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 74.1% less on healthcare
Rwanda spends 5.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 41.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In Rwanda, road accidents kill 11.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.5 times more home broadband
Rwanda has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
live with 76.3% less strain on fresh water
Rwanda withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
use 21.7 times more electricity
Rwanda uses 77 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 11.3% more likely to die from air pollution
In Rwanda, air pollution causes 62.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 20.9 times more CO2
Rwanda emits 0.2 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: Rwanda vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Rwanda? See an in-depth size comparison.