Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Swaziland, you would:
Health
be 98.3% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Swaziland, 23.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 0.4% of people as of 2024.
live 5.0 years longer
In Swaziland, the average life expectancy is 64 years (61 years for men, 67 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 69.0% less likely to be obese
In Swaziland, 29.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 83.2% less likely to die by suicide
Swaziland has a suicide rate of 27.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 86.6% less spent on your healthcare
Swaziland spends $922 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 40.6% fewer doctors per person
Swaziland has 5.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
Economy
be 96.5% less likely to be unemployed
In Swaziland, 34.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 72.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Swaziland, 53.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 43.4% less money
Swaziland has a GDP per capita of $4,108 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
be 35.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Swaziland, approximately 42.2 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 16.7% less likely to be literate
In Swaziland, the literacy rate is 90.8% as of 2022. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
have 11.5% fewer children
In Swaziland, there are approximately 23.6 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 11.7% more likely to have access to electricity
In Swaziland, approximately 86% of people have electricity access (91% in urban areas, and 85% 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 19.3% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Swaziland, approximately 80% of people have access to drinking water (98% 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 79.6% less on education
Swaziland spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 82.3% less on healthcare
Swaziland spends 7.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 33.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In Swaziland, road accidents kill 24.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 93.8% less strain on fresh water
Swaziland withdraws 78% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
use 38.8% more electricity
Swaziland uses 1,200 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 3.8 times more CO2
Swaziland emits 0.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Laos emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Swaziland vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Swaziland? See an in-depth size comparison.