Laos vs Vietnam

Laos vs Vietnam: Military spending

Military spending: 0.19% of GDP in Laos in 2013 and 2.15% of GDP in Vietnam in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. In 2013 the value was higher in Vietnam, by 2.39 percentage points, or 14 times that in Laos.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · SIPRI

Laos vs Vietnam: Military spendingMilitary spending: 0.19% of GDP in Laos in 2013 and 2.15% of GDP in Vietnam in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. In 2013 the value was higher in Vietnam, by 2.39 percentage points, or 14 times that in Laos.
LaosVietnam

What the numbers say

  • Vietnam has been higher since 2003, when it overtook Laos.

Every year

% of GDP · SIPRI

YearLaosVietnam
2025–2.15
2024–1.8
2023–1.83
2022–1.72
2021–2.05
2020–2.07
2019–2.17
2018–2.22
2017–2.28
2016–2.46
2015–2.56
2014–2.41
20130.192.58
20120.22.42
20110.211.76
20100.21.84
20090.222.73
20080.272.07
20070.312.31
20060.341.94
20050.391.78
20040.432.01
20030.492.13
20020.58–
20010.72–
20000.79–
19991.06–
19982.59–
19973.84–
19964.19–
19955.83–
19947.522.65
19938.112.26
19928.683.38
1991–5.6
1990–7.91
1989–7.29
1988–7.1
1987–3.95

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.
  • 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 Vietnam

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment