Laos vs Myanmar (Burma)
Laos vs Myanmar (Burma): Military spending
Military spending: 0.19% of GDP in Laos in 2013 and 6.61% of GDP in Myanmar (Burma) in 2024, by SIPRI estimates. In 2013 the value was higher in Myanmar (Burma), by 3.7 percentage points, or 20 times that in Laos.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Myanmar (Burma) has been higher since 1999, when it overtook Laos.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Laos | Myanmar (Burma) |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | – | 6.61 |
| 2023 | – | 3.73 |
| 2022 | – | 3.82 |
| 2021 | – | 4.41 |
| 2020 | – | 3.28 |
| 2019 | – | 2.05 |
| 2018 | – | 2.18 |
| 2017 | – | 3.36 |
| 2016 | – | 3.81 |
| 2015 | – | 4.08 |
| 2014 | – | 3.58 |
| 2013 | 0.19 | 3.89 |
| 2012 | 0.2 | 3.9 |
| 2011 | 0.21 | – |
| 2010 | 0.2 | – |
| 2009 | 0.22 | – |
| 2008 | 0.27 | – |
| 2007 | 0.31 | – |
| 2006 | 0.34 | – |
| 2005 | 0.39 | 1.58 |
| 2004 | 0.43 | 1.81 |
| 2003 | 0.49 | 1.96 |
| 2002 | 0.58 | 1.4 |
| 2001 | 0.72 | 1.84 |
| 2000 | 0.79 | 2.18 |
| 1999 | 1.06 | 2.02 |
| 1998 | 2.59 | 2.4 |
| 1997 | 3.84 | 2.31 |
| 1996 | 4.19 | 3.49 |
| 1995 | 5.83 | 3.69 |
| 1994 | 7.52 | 3.54 |
| 1993 | 8.11 | 3.52 |
| 1992 | 8.68 | 3.36 |
| 1991 | – | 3.17 |
| 1990 | – | 3.4 |
| 1989 | – | 2.96 |
| 1988 | – | 2.14 |
| 1987 | – | 1.97 |
| 1986 | – | 2.88 |
| 1985 | – | 2.98 |
| 1984 | – | 2.92 |
| 1983 | – | 3.07 |
| 1982 | – | 3.22 |
| 1981 | – | 3.46 |
| 1980 | – | 3.42 |
| 1979 | – | 3.56 |
| 1978 | – | 3.92 |
| 1977 | – | 4.04 |
| 1976 | – | 3.79 |
| 1975 | – | 3.78 |
| 1974 | – | 4.02 |
| 1973 | – | 5.11 |
| 1972 | – | 5.45 |
| 1971 | – | 5.65 |
| 1970 | – | 5.6 |
| 1969 | – | 5.31 |
| 1968 | – | 5.02 |
| 1967 | – | 5.2 |
| 1966 | – | 6.13 |
| 1965 | – | 6.7 |
| 1964 | – | 6.02 |
| 1963 | – | 6.85 |
| 1962 | – | 5.69 |
| 1961 | – | 6.12 |
- Highly uncertain
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.
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 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