Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Zambia, you would:
Health
be 95.7% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Zambia, 9.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 0.4% of people as of 2024.
live 2.7 years longer
In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 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 20.7% less likely to be obese
In Zambia, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
be 35.8% less likely to die by suicide
Zambia has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 49.4% less spent on your healthcare
Zambia spends $244 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
Economy
be 79.9% less likely to be unemployed
In Zambia, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
be 75.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Zambia, 60.0% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Laos, however, that number is 15.0% as of 2024.
make 76.4% more money
Zambia has a GDP per capita of $1,318 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
be 21.4% less likely to die during infancy
In Zambia, approximately 34.6 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 31.8% more likely to die during childbirth
In Zambia, approximately 85.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
have 36.0% fewer children
In Zambia, there are approximately 32.7 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 88.8% more likely to have access to electricity
In Zambia, approximately 51% of people have electricity access (90% in urban areas, and 18% 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 3.8 times more likely to have internet access
In Zambia, approximately 17.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
be 30.6% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Zambia, approximately 73% of people have access to drinking water (90% 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.
Expenditures
spend 69.8% less on education
Zambia spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 77.8% less on healthcare
Zambia spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 3.4 times more home broadband
Zambia has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
use 2.3 times more electricity
Zambia uses 727 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
live with 68.7% more strain on fresh water
Zambia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
Environment
be 38.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Zambia, air pollution causes 50.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 6.2 times more CO2
Zambia emits 0.5 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 (2019). How we calculate this
Compare further: Zambia vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.