Armed forces personnel in Laos
Laos: Armed forces personnel was 129,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Laos, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Laos recorded 129,000 for armed forces personnel in 2020.
The figure is down 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Laos peaked at 137,000 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 37,000, in 1992.
That places Laos 47th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel in Laos, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 53,700 | — |
| 1989 | 56,000 | +4.3% |
| 1990 | 55,000 | -1.8% |
| 1991 | 53,000 | -3.6% |
| 1992 | 37,000 | -30.2% |
| 1993 | 37,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 45,000 | +21.6% |
| 1995 | 137,000 | +204.4% |
| 1996 | 137,000 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 129,000 | -5.8% |
| 1998 | 129,100 | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 129,100 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 129,100 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 129,100 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 129,100 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 129,100 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 129,000 | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 129,000 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 129,000 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 129,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 129,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 129,100 | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 129,100 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 129,100 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 129,100 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 129,100 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 129,100 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 129,100 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 129,100 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 129,000 | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 129,100 | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 129,000 | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 129,000 | +0.0% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 129,000 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 23,000, 5.6× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Laos's 129,000 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 146,500, 88% of the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 54,850 | 53,700 | 56,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 88,820 | 37,000 | 137,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 129,050 | 129,000 | 129,100 | 10 |
| 2010s | 129,080 | 129,000 | 129,100 | 10 |
| 2020s | 129,000 | 129,000 | 129,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Laos
More reference data data for Laos
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6615 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.913 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.88 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3021 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.88 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.22 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 3.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 12.95 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.64 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Laos?
- Armed forces personnel in Laos was 129,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 137,000 in 1995.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 37,000 in 1992.
- How does Laos rank for armed forces personnel?
- Laos ranks 47th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.1%. 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) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Armed forces personnel. 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.