Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Laos instead of Zimbabwe, you would:
Health
be 95.9% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Zimbabwe, 9.8% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 0.4% of people as of 2024.
live 6.2 years longer
In Zimbabwe, the average life expectancy is 63 years (60 years for men, 65 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 37.6% less likely to be obese
In Zimbabwe, 14.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Laos, that number is 9.2% of people as of 2024.
see 19.5% more spent on your healthcare
Zimbabwe spends $103 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Laos spends $123 as of 2023.
have 2.4 times more doctors per person
Zimbabwe has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Laos has 3.3 as of 2022.
be 73.6% less likely to die by suicide
Zimbabwe has a suicide rate of 17.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Laos, it is 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 87.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Zimbabwe, 9.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Laos, that number is 1.2% as of 2025.
make 23.1% less money
Zimbabwe has a GDP per capita of $3,021 as of 2025, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $2,325 as of 2025.
Life
be 68.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Zimbabwe, approximately 358.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Laos, 112.0 women do as of 2023.
be 56.4% less likely to die during infancy
In Zimbabwe, approximately 62.4 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 15.7% less likely to be literate
In Zimbabwe, the literacy rate is 89.7% as of 2021. In Laos, it is 75.6% as of 2023.
have 30.0% fewer children
In Zimbabwe, there are approximately 29.9 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 55.6% more likely to have access to electricity
In Zimbabwe, approximately 62% of people have electricity access (84% in urban areas, and 51% 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 57.5% more likely to have internet access
In Zimbabwe, approximately 41.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Laos, about 65.6% do as of 2024.
be 42.6% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Zimbabwe, approximately 67% of people have access to drinking water (94% in urban areas, and 54% 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 54.6% less on healthcare
Zimbabwe spends 2.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Laos, that number is 1.3% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 3.2 times more on education
Zimbabwe spends 0.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Laos spends 1.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 45.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Zimbabwe, road accidents kill 29.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Laos, they kill 16.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 40.2% more home broadband
Zimbabwe has 1.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Laos has 2.7 as of 2023.
live with 89.6% less strain on fresh water
Zimbabwe withdraws 46% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Laos withdraws 5% as of 2022.
use 3.3 times more electricity
Zimbabwe uses 504 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Laos uses 1,665 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 23.2% more likely to die from air pollution
In Zimbabwe, air pollution causes 56.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Laos, it causes 69.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.4 times more CO2
Zimbabwe emits 0.8 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), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Zimbabwe vs. Laos
Laos: At a glance
How big is Laos compared to Zimbabwe? See an in-depth size comparison.