Laos vs Thailand
Laos vs Thailand: Military spending
Military spending: 0.19% of GDP in Laos in 2013 and 1.04% of GDP in Thailand in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. In 2013 the value was higher in Thailand, by 1.16 percentage points, or 7.08 times that in Laos.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Thailand has been higher since 1999, when it overtook Laos.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Laos | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | – | 1.04 |
| 2024 | – | 1.05 |
| 2023 | – | 1.13 |
| 2022 | – | 1.24 |
| 2021 | – | 1.42 |
| 2020 | – | 1.46 |
| 2019 | – | 1.33 |
| 2018 | – | 1.33 |
| 2017 | – | 1.34 |
| 2016 | – | 1.33 |
| 2015 | – | 1.34 |
| 2014 | – | 1.38 |
| 2013 | 0.19 | 1.35 |
| 2012 | 0.2 | 1.39 |
| 2011 | 0.21 | 1.39 |
| 2010 | 0.2 | 1.52 |
| 2009 | 0.22 | 1.54 |
| 2008 | 0.27 | 1.25 |
| 2007 | 0.31 | 1.02 |
| 2006 | 0.34 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 0.39 | 0.99 |
| 2004 | 0.43 | 1.13 |
| 2003 | 0.49 | 1.23 |
| 2002 | 0.58 | 1.33 |
| 2001 | 0.72 | 1.43 |
| 2000 | 0.79 | 1.49 |
| 1999 | 1.06 | 1.62 |
| 1998 | 2.59 | 1.86 |
| 1997 | 3.84 | 2.17 |
| 1996 | 4.19 | 2.15 |
| 1995 | 5.83 | 2.27 |
| 1994 | 7.52 | 2.5 |
| 1993 | 8.11 | 2.53 |
| 1992 | 8.68 | 2.66 |
| 1991 | – | 2.65 |
| 1990 | – | 2.59 |
| 1989 | – | 2.69 |
| 1988 | – | 2.93 |
| 1987 | – | 3.36 |
| 1986 | – | 3.8 |
| 1985 | – | 4.19 |
| 1984 | – | 4.06 |
| 1983 | – | 3.95 |
| 1982 | – | 4.12 |
| 1981 | – | 4.06 |
| 1980 | – | 4.24 |
| 1979 | – | 4.38 |
| 1978 | – | 3.92 |
| 1977 | – | 3.48 |
| 1976 | – | 3.13 |
| 1975 | – | 2.8 |
| 1974 | – | 2.66 |
| 1973 | – | 2.88 |
| 1972 | – | 3.47 |
| 1971 | – | 3.56 |
| 1970 | – | 3.07 |
| 1969 | – | 2.99 |
| 1968 | – | 2.76 |
| 1967 | – | 2.43 |
| 1966 | – | 2.17 |
| 1965 | – | 2.33 |
| 1964 | – | 2.43 |
| 1963 | – | 2.62 |
| 1962 | – | 2.63 |
| 1961 | – | 2.1 |
| 1960 | – | 2.47 |
| 1959 | – | 3.02 |
| 1958 | – | 3.25 |
| 1957 | – | 3.58 |
- Estimate
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.
- Ranks count the 151 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 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