Laos vs Myanmar (Burma)
Laos vs Myanmar (Burma): Government debt
Government debt: 88.8% of GDP in Laos in 2025 and 37.6% of GDP in Myanmar (Burma) in 2019, by IMF estimates. In 2019 the value was higher in Laos, by 31.5 percentage points, or 1.84 times that in Myanmar (Burma).
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Laos has been higher since 2013, when it overtook Myanmar (Burma).
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Laos at 52.1% of GDP and Myanmar (Burma) at 56% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Laos | Myanmar (Burma) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 88.8 | 52 |
| 2024 | 99.2 | 50.7 |
| 2023 | 108.8 | 53.2 |
| 2022 | 115.7 | 56 |
| 2021 | 92.2 | 63.4 |
| 2020 | 75.4 | 49.1 |
| 2019 | 69.1 | 37.6 |
| 2018 | 60.6 | 39.9 |
| 2017 | 57.2 | 41.9 |
| 2016 | 54.5 | 35.7 |
| 2015 | 53.1 | 36.6 |
| 2014 | 53.5 | 34.5 |
| 2013 | 49.5 | 44.9 |
| 2012 | 46.1 | 48 |
| 2011 | 43 | 49.9 |
| 2010 | 49.3 | 54.4 |
| 2009 | 51.8 | 56.4 |
| 2008 | 51.7 | 59.8 |
| 2007 | 55.9 | 77.4 |
| 2006 | 60 | 103.1 |
| 2005 | 73.2 | 119 |
| 2004 | 80.7 | 126.6 |
| 2003 | 90.2 | 146 |
| 2002 | 95.3 | 190.6 |
| 2001 | 94.7 | 262 |
| 2000 | – | 164.5 |
| 1999 | – | 150.7 |
| 1998 | – | 208.6 |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Laos | Myanmar (Burma) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 79.8 | 53.3 |
| 2027 | 71.9 | 54.6 |
| 2028 | 66.5 | 55.3 |
| 2029 | 61.8 | 55.3 |
| 2030 | 57.5 | 55.7 |
| 2031 | 52.1 | 56 |
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
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