China vs Laos
China vs Laos: Inflation
Inflation in 2025: 0.1% a year in China and 7.7% a year in Laos, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Laos, by 7.7 percentage points, or 150 times that in China.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Laos has been higher since 2019, when it overtook China.
- In 2025, China ranked 168 and Laos ranked 28 of 179 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts China at 2% a year and Laos at 8.5% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | China | Laos |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.1 | 7.7 |
| 2024 | 0.2 | 23.1 |
| 2023 | 0.2 | 31.2 |
| 2022 | 2 | 23 |
| 2021 | 0.9 | 3.8 |
| 2020 | 2.5 | 5.1 |
| 2019 | 2.9 | 3.3 |
| 2018 | 2.1 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1.6 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 2 | 1.6 |
| 2015 | 1.5 | 1.3 |
| 2014 | 2 | 4.1 |
| 2013 | 2.6 | 6.4 |
| 2012 | 2.6 | 4.3 |
| 2011 | 5.4 | 7.6 |
| 2010 | 3.3 | 6 |
| 2009 | -0.7 | 0.1 |
| 2008 | 5.8 | 7.6 |
| 2007 | 4.8 | 4.7 |
| 2006 | 1.5 | 6.5 |
| 2005 | 1.8 | 7.2 |
| 2004 | 3.9 | 10.5 |
| 2003 | 1.2 | 15.5 |
| 2002 | -0.7 | 10.6 |
| 2001 | 0.7 | 7.8 |
| 2000 | 0.3 | 8.4 |
| 1999 | -1.4 | 128.4 |
| 1998 | -0.8 | 90.1 |
| 1997 | 2.8 | 19.5 |
| 1996 | 8.3 | 19.2 |
| 1995 | 16.8 | 19.1 |
| 1994 | 24.2 | 7.7 |
| 1993 | 14.7 | 5.7 |
| 1992 | 6.4 | 9.8 |
| 1991 | 3.5 | 13.4 |
| 1990 | 3.3 | -26.3 |
| 1989 | 18 | 59.7 |
| 1988 | 18.8 | 14.8 |
| 1987 | 7.3 | 6.1 |
| 1986 | 6.5 | 35 |
| 1985 | 9.3 | 114.7 |
| 1984 | 2.7 | 27.2 |
| 1983 | 2 | 62.5 |
| 1982 | 2 | 70.4 |
| 1981 | 2.5 | 33.7 |
| 1980 | – | 188.8 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | China | Laos |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 9.2 |
| 2027 | 1.4 | 9.8 |
| 2028 | 1.6 | 8.2 |
| 2029 | 1.9 | 8.3 |
| 2030 | 2 | 8.5 |
| 2031 | 2 | 8.5 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much consumer prices rose in a year, on average.
- 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 179 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