South Korea vs Thailand
South Korea vs Thailand: Military spending per person
Military spending per person in 2025: $924 in South Korea and $84 in Thailand, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by $841, or 11 times that in Thailand.
US dollars per person · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1988.
- In 2025, South Korea ranked 25 and Thailand ranked 81 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars per person · SIPRI
| Year | South Korea | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $924 | $84 |
| 2024 | $920 | $77 |
| 2023 | $924 | $80 |
| 2022 | $895 | $84 |
| 2021 | $980 | $99 |
| 2020 | $890 | $102 |
| 2019 | $853 | $100 |
| 2018 | $835 | $93 |
| 2017 | $762 | $86 |
| 2016 | $721 | $79 |
| 2015 | $720 | $77 |
| 2014 | $747 | $80 |
| 2013 | $689 | $80 |
| 2012 | $647 | $78 |
| 2011 | $634 | $75 |
| 2010 | $579 | $76 |
| 2009 | $507 | $64 |
| 2008 | $540 | $54 |
| 2007 | $577 | $40 |
| 2006 | $525 | $32 |
| 2005 | $464 | $28 |
| 2004 | $375 | $30 |
| 2003 | $334 | $29 |
| 2002 | $299 | $28 |
| 2001 | $276 | $27 |
| 2000 | $296 | $30 |
| 1999 | $261 | $33 |
| 1998 | $227 | $35 |
| 1997 | $324 | $54 |
| 1996 | $361 | $66 |
| 1995 | $356 | $66 |
| 1994 | $300 | $62 |
| 1993 | $277 | $55 |
| 1992 | $261 | $53 |
| 1991 | $247 | $47 |
| 1990 | $231 | $41 |
| 1989 | $219 | $36 |
| 1988 | $181 | $34 |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence for each person living there, in US dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation.
- 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 in US dollarsSouth Korea: $48.9B in 2025Thailand: $5.57B 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