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Military Strength: Flag of China China vs Flag of Laos Laos

China (ranked #2 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Laos (#101) on the ATLAS Index. China fields 2,035,000 active troops — 70:1 Laos's 29,100, backed by 510,000 reserves and 1,500,000 paramilitary. China's $281B defense budget is 12386:1 that of Laos ($0.02B).

ATLAS (Aggregate Total of Land, Air and Sea strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of China ChinaWorld #2 90.2
ATLAS Index / 100

China leads on 6 of 6 pillars

Flag of Laos LaosWorld #101 14.7
  • 100.02M active troops Manpower10 % 35.029K active troops
  • 96.44,770 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 32.0160 battle tanks
  • 95.5477 warships Naval power20 % 0.00 warships
  • 88.23,042 combat aircraft Air power25 % 14.24 combat aircraft
  • 58.2620 warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 0.00 warheads
  • 86.0$281B budget Defense budget15 % 7.0$23M budget
China Laos Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · each conventional pillar read after its branch's availability proxy · Methodology
Key figures
China Laos Ratio
Defense budget $281B $23M 🇨🇳 12386×
– share of GDP 1.5% 0.2% 🇨🇳 7.9×
Active personnel 2,035,000 29,100 🇨🇳 70×
Combat aircraft 3,042 4 🇨🇳 760×
Warships 477 0 🇨🇳
– submarines 64 0 🇨🇳
Main battle tanks 4,770 160 🇨🇳 30×
Nuclear warheads 620 0 🇨🇳
Show full breakdown · 14 more rowsHide the 14 extra rows
Reserve troops 510,000 0 🇨🇳
Paramilitary forces 1,500,000 100,000 🇨🇳 15×
Military aircraft (all types) 6,014 32 🇨🇳 188×
– helicopters 1,402 23 🇨🇳 61×
– bombers 234 0 🇨🇳
Aircraft carriers 3 0 🇨🇳
Deployed warheads 34 0 🇨🇳
Budget share of govt spending — 0.8% 🇱🇦
Budget per capita $200 $4 🇨🇳 57×
Population 1406.6M 7.9M 🇨🇳 179×
GDP $19.5T $18B 🇨🇳 1065×
GDP per capita $13,862 $2,325 🇨🇳 6.0×
Land area 9,326,410 km² 230,800 km² 🇨🇳 40×
Coastline 14,500 km 0 km 🇨🇳
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇨🇳 ChinaJ-10 Vigorous Dragon ×608Type 96 ×2,500Type 003-class ×1
🇱🇦 LaosJL-8 ×4
Defense budget history
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Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, China or Laos?
China has approximately 2,035,000 active military personnel compared to Laos's 29,100, giving China a 70:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, China or Laos?
China operates 3,042 combat aircraft compared to Laos's 4. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, China or Laos?
China has a larger navy with 477 warships compared to Laos's 0. China operates 64 submarines while Laos has 0.
Which country spends more on defense, China or Laos?
China has a larger defense budget at $281.2 billion (12386:1 more) compared to Laos's $23 million annually.
Do China and Laos have nuclear weapons?
China possesses nuclear weapons with approximately 620 warheads, while Laos does not have nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of China and Laos compare?
China operates 4,770 main battle tanks compared to Laos's 160. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.