Laos vs Thailand
Laos vs Thailand: GDP growth
GDP growth in 2025: 4.8% a year in Laos and 2.4% a year in Thailand, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Laos, by 2.4 percentage points, or 2.01 times that in Thailand.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Laos has been higher since 2023, when it overtook Thailand.
- In 2025, Laos ranked 39 and Thailand ranked 94 of 143 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Laos at 3% a year and Thailand at 2.5% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Laos | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.8 | 2.4 |
| 2024 | 13.5 | 2.9 |
| 2023 | 3.7 | 2.2 |
| 2022 | 2.3 | 2.7 |
| 2021 | 2.1 | 1.6 |
| 2020 | -0.4 | -6.1 |
| 2019 | 4.7 | 2.1 |
| 2018 | 6.2 | 4.2 |
| 2017 | 6.9 | 4.2 |
| 2016 | 7 | 3.4 |
| 2015 | 7.3 | 3.1 |
| 2014 | 7.6 | 1 |
| 2013 | 8 | 2.7 |
| 2012 | 7.8 | 7.2 |
| 2011 | 8 | 0.8 |
| 2010 | 8 | 7.5 |
| 2009 | 7.4 | -0.7 |
| 2008 | 7.8 | 1.7 |
| 2007 | 7.9 | 5.4 |
| 2006 | 9 | 5 |
| 2005 | 6.9 | 4.2 |
| 2004 | 7.2 | 6.3 |
| 2003 | 6.2 | 7.2 |
| 2002 | 6.8 | 6.1 |
| 2001 | 4.8 | 3.4 |
| 2000 | 6.4 | 4.5 |
| 1999 | 4 | 4.6 |
| 1998 | 4.3 | -7.6 |
| 1997 | 6.9 | -2.8 |
| 1996 | 6.9 | 5.7 |
| 1995 | 7 | 8.1 |
| 1994 | 8.2 | 8 |
| 1993 | 5.9 | 8.7 |
| 1992 | 7 | 9.2 |
| 1991 | 4 | 8.4 |
| 1990 | 6.7 | 11.6 |
| 1989 | 9.9 | 12.2 |
| 1988 | -2.1 | 13.3 |
| 1987 | -1 | 9.5 |
| 1986 | 4.8 | 5.5 |
| 1985 | 9.1 | 4.6 |
| 1984 | 6.4 | 5.8 |
| 1983 | 3 | 5.6 |
| 1982 | 4.7 | 5.4 |
| 1981 | 15.3 | 5.9 |
| 1980 | 10 | 4.6 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Laos | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4.5 | 2.1 |
| 2027 | 4.5 | 2.1 |
| 2028 | 4 | 2.3 |
| 2029 | 3.5 | 2.5 |
| 2030 | 3 | 2.5 |
| 2031 | 3 | 2.5 |
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 Thailand
Health
- Life expectancyLaos: 69 years in 2023Thailand: 76.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityLaos: 2.9 per 100 live births in 2024Thailand: 0.9 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityLaos: 31.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Thailand: 6.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionLaos: 2.91% in 2017Thailand: 3.09% in 2017
- Suicide rateLaos: 8.4 per 100,000 people in 2017Thailand: 10.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationLaos: 7.67 million people in 2023Thailand: 71.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthLaos: 1.38% a year in 2023Thailand: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateLaos: 2.42 births per woman in 2023Thailand: 1.21 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationLaos: 40.3% in 2025Thailand: 62.8% in 2025
- Median ageLaos: 24.3 years in 2023Thailand: 39.7 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overLaos: 4.5% in 2023Thailand: 14.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateLaos: -1.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Thailand: 0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingLaos: 0.19% of GDP in 2013Thailand: 1.04% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsLaos: $21.8M in 2013Thailand: $5.57B in 2025
- Military spending per personLaos: $3 in 2013Thailand: $84 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingLaos: 0.8% of government spending in 2013Thailand: 4.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelLaos: 129,000 people in 2020Thailand: 455,000 people in 2020
- National powerLaos: 0.06% of world capability in 2022Thailand: 0.79% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersLaos: 4.08% of the labour force in 2020Thailand: 1.13% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsLaos: 7 million TIV in 2024Thailand: 33 million TIV in 2025