Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Laos
Laos: Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled was 129,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Laos, 1985–2020
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Laos is 129,000, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Laos peaked at 137,000 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 37,000, in 1992.
Laos ranks 47th of 173 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Laos, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 53,700 | — |
| 1986 | 54,275 | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 54,850 | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 55,425 | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 56,000 | +1.0% |
| 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 | 5 |
| 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 public sector data for Laos
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Democracy 1 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Laos?
- Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Laos was 129,000 in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 137,000 in 1995.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 37,000 in 1992.
- How does Laos rank for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled?
- Laos ranks 47th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled 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 Statizoid (derived), published as part of Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Armed forces personnel, total with 597 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.
Computed from
- Armed forces personnel, total The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Armed forces personnel, total with 597 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.