Switzerland vs Thailand
Switzerland vs Thailand: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 20,000 people in Switzerland and 455,000 people in Thailand, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Thailand, by 435,000 people, or 23 times that in Switzerland.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Thailand has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Switzerland | Thailand | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 20,000 | 455,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 20,000 | 455,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 21,450 | 454,900 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 21,000 | 455,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 20,950 | 454,600 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 20,950 | 454,600 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 20,800 | 453,600 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 21,250 | 453,600 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 22,650 | 453,600 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 23,100 | 474,600 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 25,290 | 419,600 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 25,620 | 419,600 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 23,000 | 421,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 23,000 | 420,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 23,000 | 420,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 109,000 | 421,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 4,000 | 419,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 27,500 | 427,200 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 27,600 | 419,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 26,800 | 410,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 27,700 | 416,600 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 27,700 | 377,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 26,300 | 377,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 26,260 | 337,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 27,300 | 393,500 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 31,400 | 420,500 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 39,000 | 290,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 35,000 | 295,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 31,000 | 283,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 22,000 | 283,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 22,000 | 283,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 17,000 | 283,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 20,000 | 235,300 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 25,000 | 235,000 | – |
| 1983 | 28,000 | 233,000 | – |
| 1982 | 23,000 | 250,000 | – |
| 1981 | 23,000 | 250,000 | – |
| 1980 | 23,000 | 234,000 | – |
| 1979 | 23,000 | 250,000 | – |
| 1978 | 19,000 | 250,000 | – |
| 1977 | 19,000 | 230,000 | – |
| 1976 | 25,000 | 228,000 | – |
| 1975 | 25,000 | 227,000 | – |
| 1974 | 25,000 | 221,000 | – |
| 1973 | 25,000 | 233,000 | – |
| 1972 | 25,000 | 205,000 | – |
| 1971 | 25,000 | 195,000 | – |
| 1970 | 25,000 | 175,000 | – |
| 1969 | 25,000 | 175,000 | – |
| 1968 | 25,000 | 167,000 | – |
| 1967 | 25,000 | 151,000 | – |
| 1966 | 25,000 | 151,000 | – |
| 1965 | 20,000 | 132,000 | – |
| 1964 | 20,000 | 85,000 | – |
| 1963 | 20,000 | 85,000 | – |
| 1962 | 29,000 | 83,000 | – |
| 1961 | 29,000 | 80,000 | – |
| 1960 | 0 | 97,000 | – |
| 1959 | 0 | 99,000 | – |
| 1958 | 0 | 100,000 | – |
| 1957 | 0 | 100,000 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | 50,000 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | 45,000 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | 45,000 | – |
| 1953 | 0 | 45,000 | – |
| 1952 | 0 | 44,000 | – |
| 1951 | 0 | 44,000 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | 44,000 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | 44,000 | – |
| 1948 | 0 | 44,000 | – |
| 1947 | 0 | 44,000 | – |
| 1946 | 0 | 44,000 | – |
| 1945 | 525,000 | – | – |
| 1944 | 525,000 | – | – |
| 1943 | 525,000 | – | – |
| 1942 | 525,000 | – | – |
| 1941 | 525,000 | – | – |
| 1940 | 650,000 | – | – |
| 1939 | 0 | 31,000 | – |
| 1938 | 0 | 38,000 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | 35,000 | – |
| 1936 | 0 | 32,000 | – |
| 1935 | 0 | 27,000 | – |
| 1934 | 0 | 27,000 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | 27,000 | – |
| 1932 | 0 | 30,000 | – |
| 1931 | 0 | 30,000 | – |
| 1930 | 0 | 28,000 | – |
| 1929 | 0 | 28,000 | – |
| 1928 | 0 | 27,000 | – |
| 1927 | 0 | 27,000 | – |
| 1926 | 0 | 26,000 | – |
| 1925 | 0 | 25,000 | – |
| 1924 | 0 | 26,000 | – |
| 1923 | 0 | 26,000 | – |
| 1922 | 0 | 24,000 | – |
| 1921 | 0 | 25,000 | – |
| 1920 | 0 | 25,000 | – |
| 1919 | 0 | 25,000 | – |
| 1918 | 250,000 | 32,000 | – |
| 1917 | 250,000 | 32,000 | – |
| 1916 | 250,000 | 32,000 | – |
| 1915 | 250,000 | 32,000 | – |
| 1914 | 0 | 32,000 | – |
| 1913 | 0 | 31,000 | – |
| 1912 | 0 | 31,000 | – |
| 1911 | 0 | 31,000 | – |
| 1910 | 0 | 31,000 | – |
| 1909 | 0 | 31,000 | – |
| 1908 | 0 | 31,000 | – |
| 1907 | 0 | 26,000 | – |
| 1906 | 0 | 16,000 | – |
| 1905 | 0 | 18,000 | – |
| 1904 | 0 | 18,000 | – |
| 1903 | 0 | 18,000 | – |
| 1902 | 0 | 10,000 | – |
| 1901 | 0 | 4,000 | – |
| 1900 | 0 | 10,000 | – |
| 1899 | 0 | 6,000 | – |
| 1898 | 0 | 6,000 | – |
| 1897 | 0 | 6,000 | – |
| 1896 | 0 | 6,000 | – |
| 1895 | 0 | 6,000 | – |
| 1894 | 0 | 6,000 | – |
| 1893 | 0 | 5,000 | – |
| 1892 | 0 | 15,000 | – |
| 1891 | 0 | 15,000 | – |
| 1890 | 0 | 15,000 | – |
| 1889 | 0 | 15,000 | – |
| 1888 | 0 | 15,000 | – |
| 1887 | 0 | 15,000 | – |
| 1886 | 0 | – | – |
| 1885 | 0 | – | – |
| 1884 | 0 | – | – |
| 1883 | 0 | – | – |
| 1882 | 0 | – | – |
| 1881 | 0 | – | – |
| 1880 | 0 | – | – |
| 1879 | 0 | – | – |
| 1878 | 0 | – | – |
| 1877 | 0 | – | – |
| 1876 | 0 | – | – |
| 1875 | 0 | – | – |
| 1874 | 0 | – | – |
| 1873 | 0 | – | – |
| 1872 | 0 | – | – |
| 1871 | 0 | – | – |
| 1870 | 0 | – | – |
| 1869 | 0 | – | – |
| 1868 | 0 | – | – |
| 1867 | 0 | – | – |
| 1866 | 0 | – | – |
| 1865 | 0 | – | – |
| 1864 | 0 | – | – |
| 1863 | 0 | – | – |
| 1862 | 0 | – | – |
| 1861 | 0 | – | – |
| 1860 | 0 | – | – |
| 1859 | 0 | – | – |
| 1858 | 0 | – | – |
| 1857 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 1856 | 0 | – | – |
| 1855 | 0 | – | – |
| 1854 | 0 | – | – |
| 1853 | 0 | – | – |
| 1852 | 0 | – | – |
| 1851 | 0 | – | – |
| 1850 | 0 | – | – |
| 1849 | 0 | – | – |
| 1848 | 0 | – | – |
| 1847 | 0 | – | – |
| 1846 | 0 | – | – |
| 1845 | 0 | – | – |
| 1844 | 0 | – | – |
| 1843 | 0 | – | – |
| 1842 | 0 | – | – |
| 1841 | 0 | – | – |
| 1840 | 0 | – | – |
| 1839 | 0 | – | – |
| 1838 | 0 | – | – |
| 1837 | 0 | – | – |
| 1836 | 0 | – | – |
| 1835 | 0 | – | – |
| 1834 | 0 | – | – |
| 1833 | 0 | – | – |
| 1832 | 0 | – | – |
| 1831 | 0 | – | – |
| 1830 | 0 | – | – |
| 1829 | 0 | – | – |
| 1828 | 0 | – | – |
| 1827 | 0 | – | – |
| 1826 | 0 | – | – |
| 1825 | 0 | – | – |
| 1824 | 0 | – | – |
| 1823 | 0 | – | – |
| 1822 | 0 | – | – |
| 1821 | 0 | – | – |
| 1820 | 0 | – | – |
| 1819 | 0 | – | – |
| 1818 | 0 | – | – |
| 1817 | 0 | – | – |
| 1816 | 0 | – | – |
- 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
Switzerland vs Thailand
Health
- Life expectancySwitzerland: 84 years in 2023Thailand: 76.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySwitzerland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Thailand: 0.9 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySwitzerland: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023Thailand: 6.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSwitzerland: 3.71% in 2017Thailand: 3.09% in 2017
- Suicide rateSwitzerland: 9.3 per 100,000 people in 2017Thailand: 10.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSwitzerland: 8.87 million people in 2023Thailand: 71.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthSwitzerland: 0.62% a year in 2023Thailand: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSwitzerland: 1.43 births per woman in 2023Thailand: 1.21 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSwitzerland: 85.7% in 2025Thailand: 62.8% in 2025
- Median ageSwitzerland: 42.3 years in 2023Thailand: 39.7 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSwitzerland: 19.6% in 2023Thailand: 14.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateSwitzerland: 5.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Thailand: 0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSwitzerland: 0.76% of GDP in 2025Thailand: 1.04% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSwitzerland: $7.15B in 2025Thailand: $5.57B in 2025
- Military spending per personSwitzerland: $849 in 2025Thailand: $84 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSwitzerland: 2.4% of government spending in 2025Thailand: 4.4% of government spending in 2025
- National powerSwitzerland: 0.12% of world capability in 2022Thailand: 0.79% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSwitzerland: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020Thailand: 1.13% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSwitzerland: 33 million TIV in 2023Thailand: 33 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSwitzerland: 129 million TIV in 2025Thailand: 15 million TIV in 2024