Cambodia vs Laos
Cambodia vs Laos: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 25.5% of GDP in Cambodia and 88.8% of GDP in Laos, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Laos, by 63.2 percentage points, or 3.48 times that in Cambodia.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Laos has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2001.
- In 2025, Cambodia ranked 136 and Laos ranked 24 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Cambodia at 25.7% of GDP and Laos at 52.1% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Cambodia | Laos |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25.5 | 88.8 |
| 2024 | 26.1 | 99.2 |
| 2023 | 26.3 | 108.8 |
| 2022 | 25.3 | 115.7 |
| 2021 | 26.4 | 92.2 |
| 2020 | 25.5 | 75.4 |
| 2019 | 21.2 | 69.1 |
| 2018 | 21.3 | 60.6 |
| 2017 | 22.9 | 57.2 |
| 2016 | 22 | 54.5 |
| 2015 | 23.4 | 53.1 |
| 2014 | 24 | 53.5 |
| 2013 | 24.6 | 49.5 |
| 2012 | 25 | 46.1 |
| 2011 | 23.7 | 43 |
| 2010 | 23.5 | 49.3 |
| 2009 | 23.1 | 51.8 |
| 2008 | 22.7 | 51.7 |
| 2007 | 25.3 | 55.9 |
| 2006 | 26.6 | 60 |
| 2005 | 31.3 | 73.2 |
| 2004 | 38.1 | 80.7 |
| 2003 | 39.6 | 90.2 |
| 2002 | 37.8 | 95.3 |
| 2001 | 33.6 | 94.7 |
| 2000 | 34.1 | – |
| 1999 | 34.7 | – |
| 1998 | 37.2 | – |
| 1997 | 31.6 | – |
| 1996 | 30.2 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Cambodia | Laos |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 25.1 | 79.8 |
| 2027 | 25.3 | 71.9 |
| 2028 | 24.9 | 66.5 |
| 2029 | 25.4 | 61.8 |
| 2030 | 25.7 | 57.5 |
| 2031 | 25.7 | 52.1 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- 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 149 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