Saudi Arabia vs Thailand: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 282,000 people in Saudi Arabia and 455,000 people in Thailand, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Thailand, by 173,000 people, or 1.61 times that in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi ArabiaThailand
Watch it change on the mapLatest figures
people · IISS
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 282,000 2020 | 249,000 | 25 of 170 |
| Thailand | 455,000 2020 | 419,600 | 16 of 170 |
| World | 27.4 million 2020 | 28.1 million |
What the numbers say
- Thailand has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- In 2020, Saudi Arabia ranked 25 and Thailand ranked 16 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Saudi Arabia | Thailand | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 282,000 | 455,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 252,000 | 455,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 252,000 | 454,900 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 252,000 | 455,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 251,500 | 454,600 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 251,500 | 454,600 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 251,500 | 453,600 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 251,500 | 453,600 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 249,000 | 453,600 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 249,000 | 474,600 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 249,000 | 419,600 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 249,000 | 419,600 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 238,000 | 421,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 238,000 | 420,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 240,000 | 420,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 216,000 | 421,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 214,000 | 419,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 215,000 | 427,200 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 215,000 | 419,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 217,200 | 410,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 217,000 | 416,600 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 178,000 | 377,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 178,000 | 377,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 178,000 | 337,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 178,500 | 393,500 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 177,500 | 420,500 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 164,000 | 290,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 172,000 | 295,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 172,000 | 283,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 191,000 | 283,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 146,000 | 283,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 82,000 | 283,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 62,500 | 235,300 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 80,000 | 235,000 | – |
| 1983 | 80,000 | 233,000 | – |
| 1982 | 80,000 | 250,000 | – |
| 1981 | 79,000 | 250,000 | – |
| 1980 | 79,000 | 234,000 | – |
| 1979 | 79,000 | 250,000 | – |
| 1978 | 75,000 | 250,000 | – |
| 1977 | 75,000 | 230,000 | – |
| 1976 | 75,000 | 228,000 | – |
| 1975 | 75,000 | 227,000 | – |
| 1974 | 75,000 | 221,000 | – |
| 1973 | 75,000 | 233,000 | – |
| 1972 | 75,000 | 205,000 | – |
| 1971 | 75,000 | 195,000 | – |
| 1970 | 65,000 | 175,000 | – |
| 1969 | 60,000 | 175,000 | – |
| 1968 | 60,000 | 167,000 | – |
| 1967 | 50,000 | 151,000 | – |
| 1966 | 45,000 | 151,000 | – |
| 1965 | 40,000 | 132,000 | – |
| 1964 | 40,000 | 85,000 | – |
| 1963 | 35,000 | 85,000 | – |
| 1962 | 37,000 | 83,000 | – |
| 1961 | 35,000 | 80,000 | – |
| 1960 | 30,000 | 97,000 | – |
| 1959 | 30,000 | 99,000 | – |
| 1958 | 30,000 | 100,000 | – |
| 1957 | 31,000 | 100,000 | – |
| 1956 | 32,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1955 | 33,000 | 45,000 | – |
| 1954 | 34,000 | 45,000 | – |
| 1953 | 9,000 | 45,000 | – |
| 1952 | 8,000 | 44,000 | – |
| 1951 | 7,000 | 44,000 | – |
| 1950 | 6,000 | 44,000 | – |
| 1949 | 5,000 | 44,000 | – |
| 1948 | 4,000 | 44,000 | – |
| 1947 | 4,000 | 44,000 | – |
| 1946 | 4,000 | 44,000 | – |
| 1945 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1944 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1943 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1942 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1941 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1940 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1939 | 4,000 | 31,000 | – |
| 1938 | 4,000 | 38,000 | – |
| 1937 | 4,000 | 35,000 | – |
| 1936 | 4,000 | 32,000 | – |
| 1935 | 4,000 | 27,000 | – |
| 1934 | 4,000 | 27,000 | – |
| 1933 | 4,000 | 27,000 | – |
| 1932 | 4,000 | 30,000 | – |
| 1931 | 4,000 | 30,000 | – |
| 1930 | 4,000 | 28,000 | – |
| 1929 | 4,000 | 28,000 | – |
| 1928 | 4,000 | 27,000 | – |
| 1927 | 4,000 | 27,000 | – |
| 1926 | – | 26,000 | – |
| 1925 | – | 25,000 | – |
| 1924 | – | 26,000 | – |
| 1923 | – | 26,000 | – |
| 1922 | – | 24,000 | – |
| 1921 | – | 25,000 | – |
| 1920 | – | 25,000 | – |
| 1919 | – | 25,000 | – |
| 1918 | – | 32,000 | – |
| 1917 | – | 32,000 | – |
| 1916 | – | 32,000 | – |
| 1915 | – | 32,000 | – |
| 1914 | – | 32,000 | – |
| 1913 | – | 31,000 | – |
| 1912 | – | 31,000 | – |
| 1911 | – | 31,000 | – |
| 1910 | – | 31,000 | – |
| 1909 | – | 31,000 | – |
| 1908 | – | 31,000 | – |
| 1907 | – | 26,000 | – |
| 1906 | – | 16,000 | – |
| 1905 | – | 18,000 | – |
| 1904 | – | 18,000 | – |
| 1903 | – | 18,000 | – |
| 1902 | – | 10,000 | – |
| 1901 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1900 | – | 10,000 | – |
| 1899 | – | 6,000 | – |
| 1898 | – | 6,000 | – |
| 1897 | – | 6,000 | – |
| 1896 | – | 6,000 | – |
| 1895 | – | 6,000 | – |
| 1894 | – | 6,000 | – |
| 1893 | – | 5,000 | – |
| 1892 | – | 15,000 | – |
| 1891 | – | 15,000 | – |
| 1890 | – | 15,000 | – |
| 1889 | – | 15,000 | – |
| 1888 | – | 15,000 | – |
| 1887 | – | 15,000 | – |
- 12.3Estimates, Correlates of War
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel, with paramilitary forces where they are trained and equipped like soldiers, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Before 1985: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
- Ranks count the 170 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time