China vs Laos
China vs Laos: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 98.6% of GDP in China and 88.8% of GDP in Laos, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in China, by 9.8 percentage points, or 1.11 times that in Laos.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- China has been higher since 2025, when it overtook Laos.
- In 2025, China ranked 17 and Laos ranked 24 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts China at 122.1% of GDP and Laos at 52.1% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | China | Laos |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 98.6 | 88.8 |
| 2024 | 90.5 | 99.2 |
| 2023 | 84.1 | 108.8 |
| 2022 | 77.3 | 115.7 |
| 2021 | 72.1 | 92.2 |
| 2020 | 70.6 | 75.4 |
| 2019 | 59.9 | 69.1 |
| 2018 | 55.7 | 60.6 |
| 2017 | 53.7 | 57.2 |
| 2016 | 50 | 54.5 |
| 2015 | 40.9 | 53.1 |
| 2014 | 39.4 | 53.5 |
| 2013 | 36.6 | 49.5 |
| 2012 | 33.9 | 46.1 |
| 2011 | 33 | 43 |
| 2010 | 33.1 | 49.3 |
| 2009 | 33.9 | 51.8 |
| 2008 | 26.6 | 51.7 |
| 2007 | 28.8 | 55.9 |
| 2006 | 25.2 | 60 |
| 2005 | 26 | 73.2 |
| 2004 | 25.9 | 80.7 |
| 2003 | 26.4 | 90.2 |
| 2002 | 25.5 | 95.3 |
| 2001 | 24.2 | 94.7 |
| 2000 | 22.6 | – |
| 1999 | 21.6 | – |
| 1998 | 20.4 | – |
| 1997 | 20.4 | – |
| 1996 | 21.2 | – |
| 1995 | 21.4 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | China | Laos |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 104.4 | 79.8 |
| 2027 | 109.1 | 71.9 |
| 2028 | 113.2 | 66.5 |
| 2029 | 116.4 | 61.8 |
| 2030 | 119.5 | 57.5 |
| 2031 | 122.1 | 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
China vs Laos
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023Laos: 69 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Laos: 2.9 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Laos: 31.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017Laos: 2.91% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Laos: 8.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023Laos: 7.67 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023Laos: 1.38% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023Laos: 2.42 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025Laos: 40.3% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023Laos: 24.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023Laos: 4.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Laos: -1.3 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025Laos: 0.19% of GDP in 2013
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025Laos: $21.8M in 2013
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025Laos: $3 in 2013
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025Laos: 0.8% of government spending in 2013
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020Laos: 129,000 people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022Laos: 0.06% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020Laos: 4.08% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025Laos: 7 million TIV in 2024