Laos vs Vietnam
Laos vs Vietnam: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 129,000 people in Laos and 522,000 people in Vietnam, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Vietnam, by 393,000 people, or 4.05 times that in Laos.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Vietnam has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- In 2020, Laos ranked 47 and Vietnam ranked 12 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Laos | Vietnam | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 129,000 | 522,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 129,000 | 522,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 129,100 | 522,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 129,000 | 522,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 129,100 | 522,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 129,100 | 522,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 129,100 | 522,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 129,100 | 522,000 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 129,100 | 522,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 129,100 | 522,000 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 129,100 | 522,000 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 129,100 | 495,000 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 129,000 | 495,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 129,000 | 495,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 129,000 | 495,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 129,000 | 495,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 129,000 | – | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 129,100 | 524,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 129,100 | 524,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 129,100 | 524,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 129,100 | 524,000 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 129,100 | 524,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 129,100 | 524,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 129,000 | 557,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 137,000 | 622,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 137,000 | 622,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 45,000 | 700,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 37,000 | 857,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 37,000 | 857,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 53,000 | 1.04 million | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 55,000 | 1.05 million | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 56,000 | 1.25 million | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 53,700 | 1.03 million | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 54,000 | 1.23 million | – |
| 1983 | 49,000 | 1.03 million | – |
| 1982 | 46,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1981 | 46,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1980 | 55,000 | 900,000 | – |
| 1979 | 46,000 | 650,000 | – |
| 1978 | 47,000 | 660,000 | – |
| 1977 | 45,000 | 615,000 | – |
| 1976 | 46,000 | 637,000 | – |
| 1975 | 46,000 | – | – |
| 1974 | 60,000 | – | – |
| 1973 | 71,000 | – | – |
| 1972 | 79,000 | – | – |
| 1971 | 72,000 | – | – |
| 1970 | 62,000 | – | – |
| 1969 | 59,000 | – | – |
| 1968 | 62,000 | – | – |
| 1967 | 62,000 | – | – |
| 1966 | 93,000 | – | – |
| 1965 | 86,000 | – | – |
| 1964 | 91,000 | – | – |
| 1963 | 83,000 | – | – |
| 1962 | 60,000 | – | – |
| 1961 | 55,000 | – | – |
| 1960 | 29,000 | – | – |
| 1959 | 29,000 | – | – |
| 1958 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1957 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1956 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1955 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1954 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1953 | 25,000 | – | – |
- 12.3Estimates, Correlates of War
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel, with paramilitary forces where they are trained and equipped like soldiers, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Before 1985: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
- Ranks count the 170 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Laos vs Vietnam
Health
- Life expectancyLaos: 69 years in 2023Vietnam: 74.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityLaos: 2.9 per 100 live births in 2024Vietnam: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityLaos: 31.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Vietnam: 15.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterLaos: 17.9% in 2022Vietnam: 57.8% in 2022
- DepressionLaos: 2.91% in 2017Vietnam: 2.88% in 2017
- Suicide rateLaos: 8.4 per 100,000 people in 2017Vietnam: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationLaos: 7.67 million people in 2023Vietnam: 100 million people in 2023
- Population growthLaos: 1.38% a year in 2023Vietnam: 0.64% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateLaos: 2.42 births per woman in 2023Vietnam: 1.91 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationLaos: 40.3% in 2025Vietnam: 38.8% in 2025
- Median ageLaos: 24.3 years in 2023Vietnam: 32.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overLaos: 4.5% in 2023Vietnam: 8.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateLaos: -1.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Vietnam: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingLaos: 0.19% of GDP in 2013Vietnam: 2.15% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsLaos: $21.8M in 2013Vietnam: $10.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personLaos: $3 in 2013Vietnam: $104 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingLaos: 0.8% of government spending in 2013Vietnam: 9.9% of government spending in 2025
- National powerLaos: 0.06% of world capability in 2022Vietnam: 1.11% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersLaos: 4.08% of the labour force in 2020Vietnam: 0.95% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsLaos: 7 million TIV in 2024Vietnam: 177 million TIV in 2025