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

Health

live 2.7 years longer

In Sudan, the average life expectancy is 67 years (63 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.

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be 48.4% less likely to be obese

In Sudan, 17.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.

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see 4.4 times more spent on your healthcare

Sudan spends $28 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.

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have 18.2% more access to essential health services

Sudan 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 44.9% more likely to die by suicide

Sudan has a suicide rate of 3.2 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 89.6% less likely to be unemployed

In Sudan, 11.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.

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make 99.6% more money

Sudan has a GDP per capita of $1,165 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.

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Life

be 56.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Sudan, approximately 256.0 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 36.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Sudan, approximately 42.9 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 36.6% fewer children

In Sudan, there are approximately 33.0 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 46.2% more likely to have access to electricity

In Sudan, approximately 66% of people have electricity access (87% in urban areas, and 54% 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 2.3 times more likely to have internet access

In Sudan, approximately 28.7% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.

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be 47.7% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Sudan, approximately 65% of people have access to drinking water (74% in urban areas, and 60% 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 53.3% less on healthcare

Sudan spends 2.9% 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 16.3% less likely to die in a road accident

In Sudan, road accidents kill 19.6 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 45.3 times more home broadband

Sudan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.

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live with 96.0% less strain on fresh water

Sudan withdraws 119% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.

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use 7.5 times more electricity

Sudan uses 223 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 7.8 times more CO2

Sudan emits 0.4 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 (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2023). 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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How big is Laos compared to Sudan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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