South Korea vs Thailand
South Korea vs Thailand: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 569,000 people in South Korea and 455,000 people in Thailand, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in South Korea, by 114,000 people, or 1.25 times that in Thailand.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- In 2020, South Korea ranked 11 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 | South Korea | Thailand | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 569,000 | 455,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 613,000 | 455,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 608,000 | 454,900 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 634,000 | 455,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 634,000 | 454,600 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 634,500 | 454,600 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 632,500 | 453,600 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 659,500 | 453,600 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 659,500 | 453,600 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 659,500 | 474,600 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 659,500 | 419,600 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 659,500 | 419,600 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 692,000 | 421,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 692,000 | 420,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 692,000 | 420,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 693,000 | 421,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 696,000 | 419,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 690,500 | 427,200 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 690,500 | 419,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 687,500 | 410,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 687,500 | 416,600 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 676,500 | 377,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 676,500 | 377,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 676,500 | 337,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 668,000 | 393,500 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 641,000 | 420,500 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 750,000 | 290,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 750,000 | 295,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 750,000 | 283,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 750,000 | 283,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 650,000 | 283,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 647,000 | 283,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 598,000 | 235,300 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 602,000 | 235,000 | – |
| 1983 | 602,000 | 233,000 | – |
| 1982 | 601,000 | 250,000 | – |
| 1981 | 606,000 | 250,000 | – |
| 1980 | 600,000 | 234,000 | – |
| 1979 | 638,000 | 250,000 | – |
| 1978 | 600,000 | 250,000 | – |
| 1977 | 600,000 | 230,000 | – |
| 1976 | 610,000 | 228,000 | – |
| 1975 | 630,000 | 227,000 | – |
| 1974 | 634,000 | 221,000 | – |
| 1973 | 634,000 | 233,000 | – |
| 1972 | 635,000 | 205,000 | – |
| 1971 | 638,000 | 195,000 | – |
| 1970 | 645,000 | 175,000 | – |
| 1969 | 620,000 | 175,000 | – |
| 1968 | 620,000 | 167,000 | – |
| 1967 | 612,000 | 151,000 | – |
| 1966 | 572,000 | 151,000 | – |
| 1965 | 604,000 | 132,000 | – |
| 1964 | 600,000 | 85,000 | – |
| 1963 | 627,000 | 85,000 | – |
| 1962 | 570,000 | 83,000 | – |
| 1961 | 570,000 | 80,000 | – |
| 1960 | 650,000 | 97,000 | – |
| 1959 | 650,000 | 99,000 | – |
| 1958 | 650,000 | 100,000 | – |
| 1957 | 650,000 | 100,000 | – |
| 1956 | 650,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1955 | 730,000 | 45,000 | – |
| 1954 | 630,000 | 45,000 | – |
| 1953 | 504,000 | 45,000 | – |
| 1952 | 335,000 | 44,000 | – |
| 1951 | 196,000 | 44,000 | – |
| 1950 | 109,000 | 44,000 | – |
| 1949 | 69,000 | 44,000 | – |
| 1948 | – | 44,000 | – |
| 1947 | – | 44,000 | – |
| 1946 | – | 44,000 | – |
| 1939 | – | 31,000 | – |
| 1938 | – | 38,000 | – |
| 1937 | – | 35,000 | – |
| 1936 | – | 32,000 | – |
| 1935 | – | 27,000 | – |
| 1934 | – | 27,000 | – |
| 1933 | – | 27,000 | – |
| 1932 | – | 30,000 | – |
| 1931 | – | 30,000 | – |
| 1930 | – | 28,000 | – |
| 1929 | – | 28,000 | – |
| 1928 | – | 27,000 | – |
| 1927 | – | 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.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
South Korea vs Thailand
Health
- Life expectancySouth Korea: 84.3 years in 2023Thailand: 76.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024Thailand: 0.9 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Thailand: 6.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Korea: 3.17% in 2017Thailand: 3.09% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017Thailand: 10.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023Thailand: 71.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023Thailand: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023Thailand: 1.21 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Korea: 81.2% in 2025Thailand: 62.8% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Korea: 44.5 years in 2023Thailand: 39.7 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Korea: 18.3% in 2023Thailand: 14.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023Thailand: 0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025Thailand: 1.04% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Korea: $48.9B in 2025Thailand: $5.57B in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Korea: $924 in 2025Thailand: $84 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025Thailand: 4.4% of government spending in 2025
- National powerSouth Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022Thailand: 0.79% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020Thailand: 1.13% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025Thailand: 33 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025Thailand: 15 million TIV in 2024