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

Health

be 75.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Togo, 1.6% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 0.4% of people as of 2024.

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live 6.3 years longer

In Togo, the average life expectancy is 63 years (63 years for men, 63 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 31.4% less likely to be obese

In Togo, 13.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.

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have 4.1 times more doctors per person

Togo has 0.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.

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have 18.2% more access to essential health services

Togo 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 51.0% less likely to die by suicide

Togo has a suicide rate of 9.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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see 33.6% less spent on your healthcare

Togo spends $186 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.

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Economy

be 40.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Togo, 2.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.

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be 65.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Togo, 43.8% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.

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make 68.0% more money

Togo has a GDP per capita of $1,384 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.

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Life

be 67.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In Togo, approximately 349.0 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 21.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Togo, approximately 34.8 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 34.7% fewer children

In Togo, there are approximately 32.1 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 63.0% more likely to have access to electricity

In Togo, approximately 59% of people have electricity access (95% in urban areas, and 30% 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 66.1% more likely to have internet access

In Togo, approximately 39.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.

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be 48.0% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Togo, approximately 65% of people have access to drinking water (74% in urban areas, and 58% 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 70.3% less on education

Togo spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 78.2% less on healthcare

Togo spends 6.1% 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 27.8% less likely to die in a road accident

In Togo, road accidents kill 22.7 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 91.5% more home broadband

Togo has 1.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.

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use 6.8 times more electricity

Togo uses 246 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.

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live with 41.3% more strain on fresh water

Togo withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 24.2% less likely to die from air pollution

In Togo, air pollution causes 91.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.

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emit 10.8 times more CO2

Togo emits 0.3 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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