South Korea vs Thailand
South Korea vs Thailand: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 2.01% of the labour force in South Korea and 1.13% of the labour force in Thailand, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in South Korea, by 0.88 percentage points, or 1.78 times that in Thailand.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
- In 2020, South Korea ranked 26 and Thailand ranked 59 of 168 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 0.79% of the labour force in 2020.
Every year
% of the labour force · IISS
| Year | South Korea | Thailand | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2.01 | 1.13 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 2.15 | 1.14 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 2.15 | 1.13 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 2.26 | 1.15 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 2.28 | 1.14 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 2.31 | 1.14 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 2.33 | 1.14 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 2.5 | 1.14 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 2.54 | 1.11 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 2.59 | 1.17 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 2.64 | 1.07 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 2.67 | 1.06 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 2.81 | 1.08 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 2.83 | 1.09 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 2.86 | 1.11 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 2.89 | 1.12 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 2.92 | 1.13 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 2.95 | 1.17 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 2.96 | 1.16 | 1 |
| 2001 | 3 | 1.15 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 3.05 | 1.19 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 3.06 | 1.1 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 3.09 | 1.1 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 3.04 | 0.99 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 3.07 | 1.18 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 3.01 | 1.29 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 3.6 | 0.92 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 3.71 | 0.95 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 3.77 | 0.93 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 3.85 | 0.96 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 3.44 | 0.98 | 1.11 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel as a share of everyone working or looking for work, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 168 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
- Armed forces personnelSouth Korea: 569,000 people in 2020Thailand: 455,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022Thailand: 0.79% of world capability in 2022
- 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