Democratic Republic of Congo vs Laos: Armed forces personnel
Democratic Republic of Congo
134,000
in 2020
Laos
129,000
in 2020
Democratic Republic of Congo rank
46th
Laos rank
47th
Armed forces personnel over time
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Laos
How they compare
Democratic Republic of Congo currently reports 134,000 against 129,000 in Laos, a difference of 5,000.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 32 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Laos ahead.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 46th and Laos ranks 47th of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Democratic Republic of Congo averaged higher in 2 and Laos in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Democratic Republic of Congo | Laos | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 49,500 | 54,850 | 5,350 | Laos |
| 1990s | 62,710 | 88,820 | 26,110 | Laos |
| 2000s | 103,944 | 129,056 | 25,111 | Laos |
| 2010s | 136,675 | 129,080 | 7,595 | Democratic Republic of Congo |
| 2020s | 134,000 | 129,000 | 5,000 | Democratic Republic of Congo |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Democratic Republic of Congo or Laos?
- Democratic Republic of Congo, at 134,000 against 129,000 in Laos as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Democratic Republic of Congo and Laos?
- 5,000, with Democratic Republic of Congo ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Democratic Republic of Congo and Laos?
- 32 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Democratic Republic of Congo and Laos rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 46th and Laos ranks 47th of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) β processed by Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.