Armed forces personnel, total in Thailand

Thailand: Armed forces personnel, total was 455,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
455,000
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
16th
of 173 countries
All-time high
474,550
in 2011
All-time low
235,300
in 1985
Years of data
33
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel, total in Thailand, 1985–2020

0100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k500.0k1985200220201985: 235.3k1989: 283.0k1990: 283.0k1991: 283.0k1992: 283.0k1993: 295.0k1994: 290.0k1995: 420.5k1996: 393.5k1997: 337.0k1998: 377.0k1999: 377.0k2000: 416.6k2001: 410.0k2002: 419.0k2003: 427.2k2004: 419.0k2005: 421.0k2006: 420.0k2007: 420.0k2008: 421.0k2009: 419.6k2010: 419.6k2011: 474.6k2012: 453.6k2013: 453.6k2014: 453.6k2015: 454.6k2016: 454.6k2017: 455.0k2018: 454.9k2019: 455.0k2020: 455.0k

Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Analysis

In 2020, armed forces personnel, total in Thailand stood at 455,000.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Thailand peaked at 474,550 in 2011 and was at its lowest, 235,300, in 1985.

That places Thailand 16th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 259,150 235,300 283,000 2
1990s 333,900 283,000 420,500 10
2000s 419,336 410,000 427,200 10
2010s 452,871 419,560 474,550 10
2020s 455,000 455,000 455,000 1

Countries ranked near Thailand

  1. 13 Turkey 512,000 compare
  2. 14 Myanmar 463,000 compare
  3. 15 Iraq 459,000 compare
  4. 17 Colombia 428,000 compare
  5. 18 Venezuela 343,000 compare
  6. 19 Mexico 341,000 compare

See the full ranking of 219 places →

More public sector data for Thailand

All data for Thailand →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel, total in Thailand?
Armed forces personnel, total in Thailand was 455,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Thailand?
The highest recorded value was 474,550 in 2011.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Thailand?
The lowest recorded value was 235,300 in 1985.
How does Thailand rank for armed forces personnel, total?
Thailand ranks 16th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Thailand?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Thailand 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

Indicator
Armed forces personnel, total
Source
The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
219 places, 6,823 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

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.