Laos vs Myanmar (Burma)
Laos vs Myanmar (Burma): Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 129,000 people in Laos and 463,000 people in Myanmar (Burma), by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Myanmar (Burma), by 334,000 people, or 3.59 times that in Laos.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Myanmar (Burma) has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- In 2020, Laos ranked 47 and Myanmar (Burma) ranked 14 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Laos | Myanmar (Burma) | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 129,000 | 463,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 129,000 | 513,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 129,100 | 513,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 129,000 | 513,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 129,100 | 513,300 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 129,100 | 513,300 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 129,100 | 513,300 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 129,100 | 513,300 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 129,100 | 513,300 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 129,100 | 513,300 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 129,100 | 513,300 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 129,100 | 513,300 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 129,000 | 513,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 129,000 | 513,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 129,000 | 513,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 129,000 | 483,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 129,000 | 482,300 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 129,100 | 595,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 129,100 | 544,300 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 129,100 | 444,300 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 129,100 | 429,100 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 129,100 | 429,100 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 129,100 | 434,900 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 129,000 | 429,100 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 137,000 | 406,300 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 137,000 | 371,300 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 45,000 | 322,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 37,000 | 322,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 37,000 | 286,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 53,000 | 286,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 55,000 | 230,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 56,000 | 200,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 53,700 | 186,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 54,000 | 181,000 | – |
| 1983 | 49,000 | 179,000 | – |
| 1982 | 46,000 | 210,000 | – |
| 1981 | 46,000 | 210,000 | – |
| 1980 | 55,000 | 179,000 | – |
| 1979 | 46,000 | 212,000 | – |
| 1978 | 47,000 | 212,000 | – |
| 1977 | 45,000 | 208,000 | – |
| 1976 | 46,000 | 210,000 | – |
| 1975 | 46,000 | 209,000 | – |
| 1974 | 60,000 | 202,000 | – |
| 1973 | 71,000 | 198,000 | – |
| 1972 | 79,000 | 191,000 | – |
| 1971 | 72,000 | 175,000 | – |
| 1970 | 62,000 | 174,000 | – |
| 1969 | 59,000 | 173,000 | – |
| 1968 | 62,000 | 136,000 | – |
| 1967 | 62,000 | 136,000 | – |
| 1966 | 93,000 | 135,000 | – |
| 1965 | 86,000 | 133,000 | – |
| 1964 | 91,000 | 123,000 | – |
| 1963 | 83,000 | 105,000 | – |
| 1962 | 60,000 | 100,000 | – |
| 1961 | 55,000 | 90,000 | – |
| 1960 | 29,000 | 79,000 | – |
| 1959 | 29,000 | 67,000 | – |
| 1958 | 25,000 | 56,000 | – |
| 1957 | 25,000 | 44,000 | – |
| 1956 | 25,000 | 33,000 | – |
| 1955 | 25,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1954 | 25,000 | 19,000 | – |
| 1953 | 25,000 | 14,000 | – |
| 1952 | – | 10,000 | – |
| 1951 | – | 8,000 | – |
| 1950 | – | 6,000 | – |
| 1949 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1948 | – | 3,000 | – |
- 12.3Estimates, Correlates of War
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel, with paramilitary forces where they are trained and equipped like soldiers, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Before 1985: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
- Ranks count the 170 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Laos vs Myanmar (Burma)
Health
- Life expectancyLaos: 69 years in 2023Myanmar (Burma): 66.9 years in 2023
- Child mortalityLaos: 2.9 per 100 live births in 2024Myanmar (Burma): 3.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityLaos: 31.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Myanmar (Burma): 31.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterLaos: 17.9% in 2022Myanmar (Burma): 57.4% in 2022
- DepressionLaos: 2.91% in 2017Myanmar (Burma): 2.3% in 2017
- Suicide rateLaos: 8.4 per 100,000 people in 2017Myanmar (Burma): 5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationLaos: 7.67 million people in 2023Myanmar (Burma): 54.1 million people in 2023
- Population growthLaos: 1.38% a year in 2023Myanmar (Burma): 0.69% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateLaos: 2.42 births per woman in 2023Myanmar (Burma): 2.12 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationLaos: 40.3% in 2025Myanmar (Burma): 30.6% in 2025
- Median ageLaos: 24.3 years in 2023Myanmar (Burma): 29.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overLaos: 4.5% in 2023Myanmar (Burma): 7.1% in 2023
- Net migration rateLaos: -1.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Myanmar (Burma): -0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingLaos: 0.19% of GDP in 2013Myanmar (Burma): 6.61% of GDP in 2024
- Military spending in US dollarsLaos: $21.8M in 2013Myanmar (Burma): $4.65B in 2024
- Military spending per personLaos: $3 in 2013Myanmar (Burma): $92 in 2024
- Military share of state spendingLaos: 0.8% of government spending in 2013Myanmar (Burma): 32% of government spending in 2024
- National powerLaos: 0.06% of world capability in 2022Myanmar (Burma): 0.53% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersLaos: 4.08% of the labour force in 2020Myanmar (Burma): 1.94% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsLaos: 7 million TIV in 2024Myanmar (Burma): 70 million TIV in 2025