South Korea vs Thailand
South Korea vs Thailand: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $48.9B in South Korea and $5.57B in Thailand, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by $43.3B, or 8.78 times that in Thailand.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1957.
- In 2025, South Korea ranked 11 and Thailand ranked 45 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | South Korea | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $48.9B | $5.57B |
| 2024 | $47.6B | $5.52B |
| 2023 | $46.8B | $5.74B |
| 2022 | $46.6B | $6.14B |
| 2021 | $47.6B | $7.01B |
| 2020 | $45.6B | $7.13B |
| 2019 | $43.3B | $6.88B |
| 2018 | $40.1B | $6.71B |
| 2017 | $38.1B | $6.56B |
| 2016 | $37.4B | $6.23B |
| 2015 | $36.5B | $5.91B |
| 2014 | $35.2B | $5.71B |
| 2013 | $33.8B | $5.48B |
| 2012 | $32.8B | $5.51B |
| 2011 | $32B | $5.31B |
| 2010 | $31.6B | $5.77B |
| 2009 | $31.3B | $5.39B |
| 2008 | $29.5B | $4.37B |
| 2007 | $27.7B | $3.5B |
| 2006 | $26.5B | $3.09B |
| 2005 | $25.5B | $3.04B |
| 2004 | $23.6B | $3.32B |
| 2003 | $22.6B | $3.39B |
| 2002 | $21.9B | $3.39B |
| 2001 | $21.3B | $3.41B |
| 2000 | $20.7B | $3.42B |
| 1999 | $19.5B | $3.58B |
| 1998 | $20B | $4.03B |
| 1997 | $20.8B | $5.11B |
| 1996 | $20.3B | $5.26B |
| 1995 | $20B | $5.35B |
| 1994 | $18.3B | $5.36B |
| 1993 | $17.8B | $4.95B |
| 1992 | $17B | $4.82B |
| 1991 | $16B | $4.42B |
| 1990 | $15.6B | $3.99B |
| 1989 | $15B | $3.72B |
| 1988 | $14.1B | $3.6B |
| 1987 | $13.3B | $3.57B |
| 1986 | $13B | $3.6B |
| 1985 | $12B | $3.77B |
| 1984 | $11.1B | $3.5B |
| 1983 | $10.9B | $3.2B |
| 1982 | $10.4B | $3.17B |
| 1981 | $10B | $2.97B |
| 1980 | $9.66B | $3.04B |
| 1979 | $8.82B | $3.17B |
| 1978 | $9.39B | $2.73B |
| 1977 | $7.54B | $2.16B |
| 1976 | $6.34B | $1.8B |
| 1975 | $4.41B | $1.46B |
| 1974 | $3.82B | $1.35B |
| 1973 | $2.99B | $1.44B |
| 1972 | $2.97B | $1.54B |
| 1971 | $2.54B | $1.49B |
| 1970 | $2.16B | $1.24B |
| 1969 | $2.09B | $1.06B |
| 1968 | $1.81B | $904M |
| 1967 | $1.54B | $752M |
| 1966 | $1.38B | $655M |
| 1965 | $767M | $608M |
| 1964 | $730M | $564M |
| 1963 | $771M | $549M |
| 1962 | $933M | $517M |
| 1961 | $804M | $396M |
| 1960 | $771M | $457M |
| 1959 | $796M | $490M |
| 1958 | $750M | $478M |
| 1957 | $635M | $539M |
| 1956 | $739M | – |
| 1955 | $516M | – |
| 1954 | $465M | – |
| 1953 | $185M | – |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, in constant 2024 US dollars so that years compare, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Marked points are SIPRI’s own: a dot where it gives the figure as its estimate, a ring where it calls the figure highly uncertain.
- Ranks count the 151 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
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 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
- 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