Laos vs Myanmar (Burma)
Laos vs Myanmar (Burma): GDP growth
GDP growth: 4.8% a year in Laos in 2025 and -12% a year in Myanmar (Burma) in 2021, by IMF estimates. In 2021 the value was higher in Laos, by 14.1 percentage points.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Laos has been higher since 2020, when it overtook Myanmar (Burma).
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Laos at 3% a year and Myanmar (Burma) at 0.9% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Laos | Myanmar (Burma) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.8 | -2 |
| 2024 | 13.5 | -1 |
| 2023 | 3.7 | 1 |
| 2022 | 2.3 | 4 |
| 2021 | 2.1 | -12 |
| 2020 | -0.4 | -9 |
| 2019 | 4.7 | 6.6 |
| 2018 | 6.2 | 6.3 |
| 2017 | 6.9 | 6.1 |
| 2016 | 7 | 6.8 |
| 2015 | 7.3 | 5.9 |
| 2014 | 7.6 | 8.2 |
| 2013 | 8 | 7.9 |
| 2012 | 7.8 | 6.5 |
| 2011 | 8 | 5.5 |
| 2010 | 8 | 5.2 |
| 2009 | 7.4 | 4.4 |
| 2008 | 7.8 | 7.6 |
| 2007 | 7.9 | 12.5 |
| 2006 | 9 | 13.3 |
| 2005 | 6.9 | 13.6 |
| 2004 | 7.2 | 15.3 |
| 2003 | 6.2 | 13.2 |
| 2002 | 6.8 | 9.9 |
| 2001 | 4.8 | 12.5 |
| 2000 | 6.4 | 12.4 |
| 1999 | 4 | 8.4 |
| 1998 | 4.3 | – |
| 1997 | 6.9 | – |
| 1996 | 6.9 | – |
| 1995 | 7 | – |
| 1994 | 8.2 | – |
| 1993 | 5.9 | – |
| 1992 | 7 | – |
| 1991 | 4 | – |
| 1990 | 6.7 | – |
| 1989 | 9.9 | – |
| 1988 | -2.1 | – |
| 1987 | -1 | – |
| 1986 | 4.8 | – |
| 1985 | 9.1 | – |
| 1984 | 6.4 | – |
| 1983 | 3 | – |
| 1982 | 4.7 | – |
| 1981 | 15.3 | – |
| 1980 | 10 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Laos | Myanmar (Burma) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4.5 | 2 |
| 2027 | 4.5 | 2 |
| 2028 | 4 | 1.6 |
| 2029 | 3.5 | 1.2 |
| 2030 | 3 | 0.9 |
| 2031 | 3 | 0.9 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- 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 143 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
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
- Armed forces personnelLaos: 129,000 people in 2020Myanmar (Burma): 463,000 people in 2020
- 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