China vs Laos
China vs Laos: Military spending
Military spending: 1.73% of GDP in China in 2025 and 0.19% of GDP in Laos in 2013, by SIPRI estimates. In 2013 the value was higher in China, by 1.49 percentage points, or 8.87 times that in Laos.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- China has been higher since 1999, when it overtook Laos.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | China | Laos |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.73 | – |
| 2024 | 1.66 | – |
| 2023 | 1.62 | – |
| 2022 | 1.59 | – |
| 2021 | 1.57 | – |
| 2020 | 1.72 | – |
| 2019 | 1.65 | – |
| 2018 | 1.64 | – |
| 2017 | 1.68 | – |
| 2016 | 1.73 | – |
| 2015 | 1.74 | – |
| 2014 | 1.71 | – |
| 2013 | 1.68 | 0.19 |
| 2012 | 1.67 | 0.2 |
| 2011 | 1.63 | 0.21 |
| 2010 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| 2009 | 1.86 | 0.22 |
| 2008 | 1.69 | 0.27 |
| 2007 | 1.72 | 0.31 |
| 2006 | 1.84 | 0.34 |
| 2005 | 1.85 | 0.39 |
| 2004 | 1.91 | 0.43 |
| 2003 | 1.97 | 0.49 |
| 2002 | 2.03 | 0.58 |
| 2001 | 1.96 | 0.72 |
| 2000 | 1.82 | 0.79 |
| 1999 | 1.86 | 1.06 |
| 1998 | 1.64 | 2.59 |
| 1997 | 1.62 | 3.84 |
| 1996 | 1.64 | 4.19 |
| 1995 | 1.68 | 5.83 |
| 1994 | 1.74 | 7.52 |
| 1993 | 1.99 | 8.11 |
| 1992 | 2.47 | 8.68 |
| 1991 | 2.31 | – |
| 1990 | 2.45 | – |
| 1989 | 2.45 | – |
- 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
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 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