Armed forces personnel, total in Laos
Laos: Armed forces personnel, total was 129,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel, total in Laos, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
In 2020, armed forces personnel, total in Laos stood at 129,000.
The figure is down 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total 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 33 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total 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 public sector data for Laos
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, 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)
- 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 in Laos?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Laos was 129,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 137,000 in 1995.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 37,000 in 1992.
- How does Laos rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Laos ranks 47th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total 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, published as part of Armed forces personnel, total. 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 the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.