Laos vs. Cambodia

Military

	Laos	Cambodia
Military branches	Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF): Lao People's Army (LPA, includes Riverine Force), Air Force, Self-Defense Militia Forces (2021)	Royal Cambodian Armed Forces: High Command Headquarters, Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Khmer Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force, Royal Gendarmerie; the National Committee for Maritime Security (performs Coast Guard functions and has representation from military and civilian agencies) (2020)
Military service age and obligation	18 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - minimum 18 months (2019)	18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2019)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	0.2% of GDP (2017 est.) 0.2% of GDP (2016 est.) 0.2% of GDP (2015 est.) 0.2% of GDP (2014 est.) 0.2% of GDP (2013 est.)	2.3% of GDP (2019 est.) 2.2% of GDP (2018) 2.1% of GDP (2017) 2% of GDP (2016) 1.8% of GDP (2015)
Military and security service personnel strengths	information is limited and estimates for the size of the Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF) vary; approximately 30,000 active duty troops (26,000 Army; 4000 Air Force) (2020)	information varies; approximately 100,000 total active troops including about 3,000 Navy and 1,000 Air Force; est. 10,000 Gendarmerie (2020)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions	the LPAF is armed largely with weapons from the former Soviet Union; since 2010, China and Russia are the leading suppliers of military equipment to Laos (2020)	the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces are armed largely with older Chinese and Russian-origin equipment; it has received limited amounts of more modern (mostly second-hand) equipment since 2010 with China as the principal provider (2020)

Source: CIA Factbook