Myanmar (Burma) vs Vietnam
Myanmar (Burma) vs Vietnam: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 463,000 people in Myanmar (Burma) and 522,000 people in Vietnam, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Vietnam, by 59,000 people, or 1.13 times that in Myanmar (Burma).
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Vietnam has been higher since 2010, when it overtook Myanmar (Burma).
- In 2020, Myanmar (Burma) ranked 14 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 | Myanmar (Burma) | Vietnam | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 463,000 | 522,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 513,000 | 522,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 513,000 | 522,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 513,000 | 522,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 513,300 | 522,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 513,300 | 522,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 513,300 | 522,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 513,300 | 522,000 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 513,300 | 522,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 513,300 | 522,000 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 513,300 | 522,000 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 513,300 | 495,000 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 513,000 | 495,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 513,000 | 495,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 513,000 | 495,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 483,000 | 495,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 482,300 | – | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 595,000 | 524,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 544,300 | 524,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 444,300 | 524,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 429,100 | 524,000 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 429,100 | 524,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 434,900 | 524,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 429,100 | 557,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 406,300 | 622,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 371,300 | 622,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 322,000 | 700,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 322,000 | 857,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 286,000 | 857,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 286,000 | 1.04 million | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 230,000 | 1.05 million | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 200,000 | 1.25 million | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 186,000 | 1.03 million | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 181,000 | 1.23 million | – |
| 1983 | 179,000 | 1.03 million | – |
| 1982 | 210,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1981 | 210,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1980 | 179,000 | 900,000 | – |
| 1979 | 212,000 | 650,000 | – |
| 1978 | 212,000 | 660,000 | – |
| 1977 | 208,000 | 615,000 | – |
| 1976 | 210,000 | 637,000 | – |
| 1975 | 209,000 | – | – |
| 1974 | 202,000 | – | – |
| 1973 | 198,000 | – | – |
| 1972 | 191,000 | – | – |
| 1971 | 175,000 | – | – |
| 1970 | 174,000 | – | – |
| 1969 | 173,000 | – | – |
| 1968 | 136,000 | – | – |
| 1967 | 136,000 | – | – |
| 1966 | 135,000 | – | – |
| 1965 | 133,000 | – | – |
| 1964 | 123,000 | – | – |
| 1963 | 105,000 | – | – |
| 1962 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1961 | 90,000 | – | – |
| 1960 | 79,000 | – | – |
| 1959 | 67,000 | – | – |
| 1958 | 56,000 | – | – |
| 1957 | 44,000 | – | – |
| 1956 | 33,000 | – | – |
| 1955 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1954 | 19,000 | – | – |
| 1953 | 14,000 | – | – |
| 1952 | 10,000 | – | – |
| 1951 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1950 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1949 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1948 | 3,000 | – | – |
- 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
Myanmar (Burma) vs Vietnam
Health
- Life expectancyMyanmar (Burma): 66.9 years in 2023Vietnam: 74.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityMyanmar (Burma): 3.7 per 100 live births in 2024Vietnam: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityMyanmar (Burma): 31.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023Vietnam: 15.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterMyanmar (Burma): 57.4% in 2022Vietnam: 57.8% in 2022
- DepressionMyanmar (Burma): 2.3% in 2017Vietnam: 2.88% in 2017
- Suicide rateMyanmar (Burma): 5 per 100,000 people in 2017Vietnam: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMyanmar (Burma): 54.1 million people in 2023Vietnam: 100 million people in 2023
- Population growthMyanmar (Burma): 0.69% a year in 2023Vietnam: 0.64% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMyanmar (Burma): 2.12 births per woman in 2023Vietnam: 1.91 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationMyanmar (Burma): 30.6% in 2025Vietnam: 38.8% in 2025
- Median ageMyanmar (Burma): 29.5 years in 2023Vietnam: 32.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMyanmar (Burma): 7.1% in 2023Vietnam: 8.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateMyanmar (Burma): -0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Vietnam: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingMyanmar (Burma): 6.61% of GDP in 2024Vietnam: 2.15% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsMyanmar (Burma): $4.65B in 2024Vietnam: $10.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personMyanmar (Burma): $92 in 2024Vietnam: $104 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingMyanmar (Burma): 32% of government spending in 2024Vietnam: 9.9% of government spending in 2025
- National powerMyanmar (Burma): 0.53% of world capability in 2022Vietnam: 1.11% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMyanmar (Burma): 1.94% of the labour force in 2020Vietnam: 0.95% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMyanmar (Burma): 70 million TIV in 2025Vietnam: 177 million TIV in 2025