Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Thailand
Thailand: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) was 4.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure in Thailand, 1995–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of general government expenditure.
Analysis
In 2025, military expenditure in Thailand stood at 4.4%. That is the lowest value across all 31 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.0% on the previous year and down 27.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Thailand peaked at 13.7% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 4.4%, in 2025.
That places Thailand 103rd out of 164 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Thailand, year by year
| Year | % of general government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 13.7% | — |
| 1996 | 12.3% | -9.9% |
| 1997 | 10.1% | -18.3% |
| 1998 | 7.8% | -22.4% |
| 1999 | 6.4% | -18.4% |
| 2000 | 8.0% | +26.1% |
| 2001 | 7.2% | -10.5% |
| 2002 | 5.6% | -22.5% |
| 2003 | 6.9% | +23.9% |
| 2004 | 6.0% | -13.0% |
| 2005 | 5.1% | -14.3% |
| 2006 | 5.2% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 5.2% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 6.5% | +24.0% |
| 2009 | 7.3% | +11.8% |
| 2010 | 7.0% | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 6.5% | -7.0% |
| 2012 | 6.4% | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 6.1% | -4.5% |
| 2014 | 6.2% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 6.1% | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 6.4% | +4.2% |
| 2017 | 6.4% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 6.3% | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 6.4% | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 5.8% | -10.1% |
| 2021 | 5.3% | -8.1% |
| 2022 | 5.0% | -5.8% |
| 2023 | 4.9% | -2.0% |
| 2024 | 4.7% | -4.8% |
| 2025 | 4.4% | -5.0% |
Thailand compared with similar countries
- Thailand's 4.4% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.9%, 91% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Thailand's 4.4% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.9%, 91% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.1% | 6.4% | 13.7% | 5 |
| 2000s | 6.3% | 5.1% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.4% | 6.1% | 7.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.0% | 4.4% | 5.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Thailand
More public sector data for Thailand
- Democracy, 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)
- Elected parliament, 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)
- Arms imports 33.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 1.02 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0001 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -74.91 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Thailand?
- Military expenditure in Thailand was 4.4% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 13.7% in 1995.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.4% in 2025.
- How does Thailand rank for military expenditure?
- Thailand ranks 103rd out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Thailand data come from?
- The figures come from SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as part of Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Military expenditure expressed as a percentage of general government expenditure