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Armed forces as a share of the population — all countries

Armed forces as a share of the population — Thailand

Armed forces as a share of the population in Thailand in 2022 — 0.503%. Ranked 36 in the world out of 189. Since 1887, the indicator has risen by 0.261 pp.

2022 0.503% −0 pp vs 2021
World rank 36of 189
Period maximum 0.587%1973
Period minimum 0.054%1901

Trend over time

1887–2022 · % of population

Armed forces as a share of the population — Thailand, 1887–202200.20.40.6188719011915192919431957197119851999201320221887: 0.242%1890: 0.233%1893: 0.075%1896: 0.086%1899: 0.083%1902: 0.133%1905: 0.231%1908: 0.383%1911: 0.368%1914: 0.363%1917: 0.347%1920: 0.255%1923: 0.249%1926: 0.233%1929: 0.232%1932: 0.229%1935: 0.192%1938: 0.254%1947: 0.242%1950: 0.224%1953: 0.21%1956: 0.213%1959: 0.386%1962: 0.293%1965: 0.425%1968: 0.491%1971: 0.52%1974: 0.542%1977: 0.522%1980: 0.501%1983: 0.469%1986: 0.488%1989: 0.513%1992: 0.494%1995: 0.485%1998: 0.464%2001: 0.486%2004: 0.476%2007: 0.465%2010: 0.461%2013: 0.53%2016: 0.524%2019: 0.505%2022: 0.503%
Change over the period: +0.261 pp Annual average: 0 pp

Comparison, 2022

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Thailand

Thailand 0.503%
World computed 0.259%
East Asia & Pacific computed 0.266%
South-Eastern Asia computed 0.302%
Upper-middle-income countries computed 0.194%
Armed forces as a share of the population — Thailand, by year Thailand All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2022 0.503 −0 pp
2021 0.503 −0.001 pp
2020 0.504 −0.001 pp
2019 0.505 −0.001 pp
2018 0.506 −0.002 pp
2017 0.507 −0.017 pp
2016 0.524 −0.002 pp
2015 0.526 −0.002 pp
2014 0.528 −0.002 pp
2013 0.53 +0.072 pp
2012 0.458 −0.001 pp
2011 0.46 −0.001 pp
2010 0.461 −0.002 pp
2009 0.463 +0.001 pp
2008 0.462 −0.002 pp
2007 0.465 −0.001 pp
2006 0.466 −0.002 pp
2005 0.468 −0.008 pp
2004 0.476 −0.011 pp
2003 0.487 +0.007 pp
2002 0.48 −0.007 pp
2001 0.486 −0.004 pp
2000 0.49 −0.003 pp
1999 0.493 +0.029 pp
1998 0.464 −0.011 pp
1997 0.475 −0.005 pp
1996 0.48 −0.005 pp
1995 0.485 −0.009 pp
1994 0.494 −0.015 pp
1993 0.509 +0.015 pp
1992 0.494 −0.006 pp
1991 0.5 −0.007 pp
1990 0.507 −0.006 pp
1989 0.513 +0.041 pp
1988 0.471 −0.008 pp
1987 0.479 −0.008 pp
1986 0.488 +0.032 pp
1985 0.456 −0.008 pp
1984 0.464 −0.005 pp
1983 0.469 −0.044 pp
1982 0.513 −0.011 pp
1981 0.524 +0.023 pp
1980 0.501 −0.041 pp
1979 0.542 −0.013 pp
1978 0.554 +0.032 pp
1977 0.522 −0.008 pp
1976 0.531 −0.011 pp
1975 0.542 +0 pp
1974 0.542 −0.045 pp
1973 0.587 +0.056 pp
1972 0.531 +0.011 pp
1971 0.52 +0.039 pp
1970 0.481 −0.017 pp
1969 0.498 +0.008 pp
1968 0.491 +0.033 pp
1967 0.458 −0.014 pp
1966 0.472 +0.046 pp
1965 0.425 +0.143 pp
1964 0.283 −0.009 pp
1963 0.291 −0.002 pp
1962 0.293 +0.002 pp
1961 0.291 −0.073 pp
1960 0.364 −0.022 pp
1959 0.386 −0.016 pp
1958 0.402 −0.012 pp
1957 0.414 +0.201 pp
1956 0.213 +0.016 pp
1955 0.198 −0.006 pp
1954 0.204 −0.006 pp
1953 0.21 −0.001 pp
1952 0.211 −0.006 pp
1951 0.218 −0.007 pp
1950 0.224 −0.007 pp
1949 0.231 −0.007 pp
1948 0.238 −0.005 pp
1947 0.242 −0.006 pp
1946 0.248 —
1939 0.203 −0.05 pp
1938 0.254 +0.016 pp
1937 0.238 +0.015 pp
1936 0.223 +0.03 pp
1935 0.192 −0.005 pp
1934 0.197 −0.005 pp
1933 0.202 −0.028 pp
1932 0.229 −0.006 pp
1931 0.236 +0.01 pp
1930 0.226 −0.006 pp
1929 0.232 +0.002 pp
1928 0.23 −0.006 pp
1927 0.236 +0.004 pp
1926 0.233 +0.004 pp
1925 0.229 −0.015 pp
1924 0.244 −0.006 pp
1923 0.249 +0.014 pp
1922 0.235 −0.015 pp
1921 0.25 −0.005 pp
1920 0.255 −0.005 pp
1919 0.26 −0.08 pp
1918 0.34 −0.007 pp
1917 0.347 −0.005 pp
1916 0.352 −0.005 pp
1915 0.357 −0.005 pp
1914 0.363 +0.006 pp
1913 0.357 −0.005 pp
1912 0.362 −0.005 pp
1911 0.368 −0.006 pp
1910 0.373 −0.005 pp
1909 0.378 −0.005 pp
1908 0.383 +0.058 pp
1907 0.325 +0.123 pp
1906 0.203 −0.028 pp
1905 0.231 −0.003 pp
1904 0.234 −0.003 pp
1903 0.237 +0.104 pp
1902 0.133 +0.079 pp
1901 0.054 −0.083 pp
1900 0.137 +0.054 pp
1899 0.083 −0.001 pp
1898 0.084 −0.001 pp
1897 0.085 −0.001 pp
1896 0.086 −0.001 pp
1895 0.087 −0.001 pp
1894 0.088 +0.014 pp
1893 0.075 −0.152 pp
1892 0.227 −0.003 pp
1891 0.23 −0.003 pp
1890 0.233 −0.003 pp
1889 0.236 −0.003 pp
1888 0.239 −0.003 pp
1887 0.242 —

South-Eastern Asia, 2022

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

BN Brunei Darussalam 1.538 SG Singapore 0.903 KH Cambodia 0.721 MM Myanmar 0.662 TH Thailand 0.503 VN Vietnam 0.484 LA Laos 0.384 MY Malaysia 0.326 TL Timor-Leste 0.146 ID Indonesia 0.142 PH Philippines 0.127
Full table for all countries

About the indicator

Military personnel on active duty as a percent of the entire population of the country. The indicator answers the question of how large the armed forces are relative to the size of the country — an army that is large in absolute numbers in a large country can come out smaller by this measure than the small army of a small state.

Important: A close indicator — the share of the labor force — answers a different question: what part of those able to work is occupied in the army instead of the economy. In countries with young populations the two diverge noticeably.

Source: Military Expenditure Database (SIPRI), license SIPRI terms of use.

Other indicators for Thailand

Defense Armed forces personnel since 1816

A long historical series on the personnel of armies — since 1816, that is, over two centuries.

Thailand by year Defense Armed forces as a share of the labor force

What part of a country’s labor force serves in the army instead of working in the economy.

Thailand by year Defense Armed forces personnel

The number of active-duty military personnel and paramilitary forces.

Thailand by year Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)

The share of GDP a country spends on defense.

Thailand by year Defense Military expenditure in dollars

The absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.

Thailand by year Defense Military expenditure share of the budget

What part of government spending goes to defense.

Thailand by year
All indicators for Thailand