Laos vs Vietnam
Laos vs Vietnam: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending: 0.8% of government spending in Laos in 2013 and 9.9% of government spending in Vietnam in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. In 2013 the value was higher in Vietnam, by 9.8 percentage points, or 13 times that in Laos.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Vietnam has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2003.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Laos | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | – | 9.9 |
| 2024 | – | 9.4 |
| 2023 | – | 9.8 |
| 2022 | – | 9.4 |
| 2021 | – | 10.2 |
| 2020 | – | 9.7 |
| 2019 | – | 11 |
| 2018 | – | 10.9 |
| 2017 | – | 10.6 |
| 2016 | – | 11.1 |
| 2015 | – | 10.6 |
| 2014 | – | 10.6 |
| 2013 | 0.8 | 10.6 |
| 2012 | 0.8 | 10.3 |
| 2011 | 1.1 | 8.3 |
| 2010 | 0.9 | 7.8 |
| 2009 | 1.1 | 8.6 |
| 2008 | 1.7 | 7.6 |
| 2007 | 2.1 | 8.1 |
| 2006 | 2.3 | 7.4 |
| 2005 | 2.6 | 6.8 |
| 2004 | 3.2 | 7.5 |
| 2003 | 3.1 | 7.6 |
| 2002 | 3.5 | – |
| 2001 | 3.6 | – |
| 2000 | 3.8 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Ranks count the 150 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
- 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