Cambodia vs Laos
Cambodia vs Laos: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending: 8.2% of government spending in Cambodia in 2025 and 0.8% of government spending in Laos in 2013, by SIPRI estimates. In 2013 the value was higher in Cambodia, by 6.7 percentage points, or 9.55 times that in Laos.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Cambodia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2000.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Cambodia | Laos |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8.2 | – |
| 2024 | 9 | – |
| 2023 | 8.3 | – |
| 2022 | 8.4 | – |
| 2021 | 8.1 | – |
| 2020 | 8.8 | – |
| 2019 | 9.2 | – |
| 2018 | 10.2 | – |
| 2017 | 9.7 | – |
| 2016 | 9.5 | – |
| 2015 | 9.3 | – |
| 2014 | 7.7 | – |
| 2013 | 7.5 | 0.8 |
| 2012 | 7.1 | 0.8 |
| 2011 | 7.3 | 1.1 |
| 2010 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
| 2009 | 6.4 | 1.1 |
| 2008 | 5.2 | 1.7 |
| 2007 | 6.4 | 2.1 |
| 2006 | 8.1 | 2.3 |
| 2005 | 9.1 | 2.6 |
| 2004 | 9.4 | 3.2 |
| 2003 | 9.2 | 3.1 |
| 2002 | 9 | 3.5 |
| 2001 | 11.7 | 3.6 |
| 2000 | 14.7 | 3.8 |
| 1999 | 18.2 | – |
| 1998 | 19.9 | – |
| 1997 | 24.2 | – |
| 1996 | 20.7 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Ranks count the 150 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
- 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