Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Laos
Laos: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 1.8% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Laos, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Laos recorded 1.8% for armed forces personnel as a share of total population in 2020.
The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 13.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Laos peaked at 2.8% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 0.8%, in 1993.
Laos ranks 6th of 173 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.4% | 2 |
| 1990s | 1.8% | 0.8% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.2% | 2.1% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.9% | 1.8% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Laos
More reference data data for Laos
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.2805 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.8819 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.3578 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.4679 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.95 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 317.16 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Laos?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Laos was 1.8% in 2020, according to The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 2.8% in 1995.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.8% in 1993.
- How does Laos rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- Laos ranks 6th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Armed forces personnel as a share of total population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.