Cambodia vs Laos
Cambodia vs Laos: GDP growth
GDP growth in 2025: 5.3% a year in Cambodia and 4.8% a year in Laos, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Cambodia, by 0.5 percentage points, or 1.11 times that in Laos.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Cambodia has been higher since 2025, when it overtook Laos.
- In 2025, Cambodia ranked 26 and Laos ranked 39 of 143 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Cambodia at 5.5% a year and Laos at 3% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Cambodia | Laos |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5.3 | 4.8 |
| 2024 | 6 | 13.5 |
| 2023 | 5 | 3.7 |
| 2022 | 5.5 | 2.3 |
| 2021 | 2.9 | 2.1 |
| 2020 | -3 | -0.4 |
| 2019 | 7.9 | 4.7 |
| 2018 | 8.7 | 6.2 |
| 2017 | 7.6 | 6.9 |
| 2016 | 7.4 | 7 |
| 2015 | 6.8 | 7.3 |
| 2014 | 5.8 | 7.6 |
| 2013 | 7.8 | 8 |
| 2012 | 9.1 | 7.8 |
| 2011 | 8.8 | 8 |
| 2010 | 5.3 | 8 |
| 2009 | 5.3 | 7.4 |
| 2008 | 9 | 7.8 |
| 2007 | 9.8 | 7.9 |
| 2006 | 10.9 | 9 |
| 2005 | 14.1 | 6.9 |
| 2004 | 8.3 | 7.2 |
| 2003 | 7.9 | 6.2 |
| 2002 | 8.7 | 6.8 |
| 2001 | 5.5 | 4.8 |
| 2000 | 10.7 | 6.4 |
| 1999 | 12.7 | 4 |
| 1998 | 4.7 | 4.3 |
| 1997 | 4 | 6.9 |
| 1996 | 5.9 | 6.9 |
| 1995 | 9.9 | 7 |
| 1994 | 8.2 | 8.2 |
| 1993 | 4 | 5.9 |
| 1992 | 7.1 | 7 |
| 1991 | 7.6 | 4 |
| 1990 | 1.1 | 6.7 |
| 1989 | 3.3 | 9.9 |
| 1988 | 9.6 | -2.1 |
| 1987 | – | -1 |
| 1986 | – | 4.8 |
| 1985 | – | 9.1 |
| 1984 | – | 6.4 |
| 1983 | – | 3 |
| 1982 | – | 4.7 |
| 1981 | – | 15.3 |
| 1980 | – | 10 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Cambodia | Laos |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 4.5 |
| 2027 | 4 | 4.5 |
| 2028 | 4.7 | 4 |
| 2029 | 5.1 | 3.5 |
| 2030 | 5.3 | 3 |
| 2031 | 5.5 | 3 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 143 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Cambodia vs Laos
Health
- Life expectancyCambodia: 70.7 years in 2023Laos: 69 years in 2023
- Child mortalityCambodia: 1.8 per 100 live births in 2024Laos: 2.9 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityCambodia: 19.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023Laos: 31.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterCambodia: 29.1% in 2022Laos: 17.9% in 2022
- DepressionCambodia: 3.1% in 2017Laos: 2.91% in 2017
- Suicide rateCambodia: 4.5 per 100,000 people in 2017Laos: 8.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationCambodia: 17.4 million people in 2023Laos: 7.67 million people in 2023
- Population growthCambodia: 1.25% a year in 2023Laos: 1.38% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateCambodia: 2.58 births per woman in 2023Laos: 2.42 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationCambodia: 41.1% in 2025Laos: 40.3% in 2025
- Median ageCambodia: 25.8 years in 2023Laos: 24.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overCambodia: 6% in 2023Laos: 4.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateCambodia: -1.8 per 1,000 people in 2023Laos: -1.3 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingCambodia: 1.45% of GDP in 2025Laos: 0.19% of GDP in 2013
- Military spending in US dollarsCambodia: $716M in 2025Laos: $21.8M in 2013
- Military spending per personCambodia: $42 in 2025Laos: $3 in 2013
- Military share of state spendingCambodia: 8.2% of government spending in 2025Laos: 0.8% of government spending in 2013
- Armed forces personnelCambodia: 191,000 people in 2020Laos: 129,000 people in 2020
- National powerCambodia: 0.16% of world capability in 2022Laos: 0.06% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersCambodia: 2.02% of the labour force in 2020Laos: 4.08% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsCambodia: 56 million TIV in 2023Laos: 7 million TIV in 2024