Laos vs Vietnam
Laos vs Vietnam: Inflation
Inflation in 2025: 7.7% a year in Laos and 3.3% a year in Vietnam, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Laos, by 4.4 percentage points, or 2.34 times that in Vietnam.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Laos has been higher since 2019, when it overtook Vietnam.
- In 2025, Laos ranked 28 and Vietnam ranked 77 of 179 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Laos at 8.5% a year and Vietnam at 3.8% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Laos | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7.7 | 3.3 |
| 2024 | 23.1 | 3.6 |
| 2023 | 31.2 | 3.3 |
| 2022 | 23 | 3.2 |
| 2021 | 3.8 | 1.8 |
| 2020 | 5.1 | 3.2 |
| 2019 | 3.3 | 2.8 |
| 2018 | 2 | 3.5 |
| 2017 | 0.8 | 3.5 |
| 2016 | 1.6 | 2.7 |
| 2015 | 1.3 | 0.6 |
| 2014 | 4.1 | 4.1 |
| 2013 | 6.4 | 6.6 |
| 2012 | 4.3 | 9.1 |
| 2011 | 7.6 | 18.7 |
| 2010 | 6 | 10.5 |
| 2009 | 0.1 | 6.7 |
| 2008 | 7.6 | 23.1 |
| 2007 | 4.7 | 8.3 |
| 2006 | 6.5 | 7.5 |
| 2005 | 7.2 | 8.4 |
| 2004 | 10.5 | 7.9 |
| 2003 | 15.5 | 3.3 |
| 2002 | 10.6 | 4.1 |
| 2001 | 7.8 | -0.3 |
| 2000 | 8.4 | -1.8 |
| 1999 | 128.4 | 4.1 |
| 1998 | 90.1 | 7.2 |
| 1997 | 19.5 | 3.1 |
| 1996 | 19.2 | 5.6 |
| 1995 | 19.1 | 16.9 |
| 1994 | 7.7 | 10.4 |
| 1993 | 5.7 | 8.4 |
| 1992 | 9.8 | 37.7 |
| 1991 | 13.4 | 81.8 |
| 1990 | -26.3 | 36 |
| 1989 | 59.7 | 95.8 |
| 1988 | 14.8 | 374.4 |
| 1987 | 6.1 | 360.4 |
| 1986 | 35 | 453.5 |
| 1985 | 114.7 | 91.6 |
| 1984 | 27.2 | 64.9 |
| 1983 | 62.5 | 49.5 |
| 1982 | 70.4 | 95.4 |
| 1981 | 33.7 | 69.6 |
| 1980 | 188.8 | 25.2 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Laos | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 9.2 | 4.7 |
| 2027 | 9.8 | 4.9 |
| 2028 | 8.2 | 4.7 |
| 2029 | 8.3 | 4.6 |
| 2030 | 8.5 | 4.2 |
| 2031 | 8.5 | 3.8 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much consumer prices rose in a year, on average.
- 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 179 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 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
- Armed forces personnelLaos: 129,000 people in 2020Vietnam: 522,000 people in 2020
- 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