Cambodia vs Laos
Cambodia vs Laos: Military spending
Military spending: 1.45% of GDP in Cambodia in 2025 and 0.19% of GDP in Laos in 2013, by SIPRI estimates. In 2013 the value was higher in Cambodia, by 1.04 percentage points, or 6.47 times that in Laos.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Cambodia has been higher since 1998, when it overtook Laos.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Cambodia | Laos |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.45 | – |
| 2024 | 1.52 | – |
| 2023 | 1.55 | – |
| 2022 | 1.54 | – |
| 2021 | 1.7 | – |
| 2020 | 1.78 | – |
| 2019 | 1.62 | – |
| 2018 | 1.64 | – |
| 2017 | 1.56 | – |
| 2016 | 1.44 | – |
| 2015 | 1.35 | – |
| 2014 | 1.26 | – |
| 2013 | 1.23 | 0.19 |
| 2012 | 1.22 | 0.2 |
| 2011 | 1.2 | 0.21 |
| 2010 | 1.22 | 0.2 |
| 2009 | 1.09 | 0.22 |
| 2008 | 0.68 | 0.27 |
| 2007 | 0.78 | 0.31 |
| 2006 | 0.91 | 0.34 |
| 2005 | 1 | 0.39 |
| 2004 | 1.18 | 0.43 |
| 2003 | 1.34 | 0.49 |
| 2002 | 1.45 | 0.58 |
| 2001 | 1.71 | 0.72 |
| 2000 | 2.19 | 0.79 |
| 1999 | 2.51 | 1.06 |
| 1998 | 2.66 | 2.59 |
| 1997 | 3 | 3.84 |
| 1996 | 3.24 | 4.19 |
| 1995 | 3.58 | 5.83 |
| 1994 | 3.84 | 7.52 |
| 1993 | 1.76 | 8.11 |
| 1992 | 3.15 | 8.68 |
| 1991 | 2.33 | – |
| 1990 | 2.07 | – |
| 1989 | 1.99 | – |
| 1988 | 1.28 | – |
| 1987 | 1.57 | – |
| 1986 | 1.15 | – |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, as a share of its economy, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Marked points are SIPRI’s own: a dot where it gives the figure as its estimate, a ring where it calls the figure highly uncertain.
- Ranks count the 151 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 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