Thailand vs United States

Thailand vs United States: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 455,000 people in Thailand and 1.4 million people in United States, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in United States, by 940,000 people, or 3.07 times that in Thailand.

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Thailand vs United States: Armed forces personnelArmed forces personnel in 2020: 455,000 people in Thailand and 1.4 million people in United States, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in United States, by 940,000 people, or 3.07 times that in Thailand.
ThailandUnited StatesEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
  • In 2020, Thailand ranked 16 and United States ranked 5 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.

Every year

people · IISS

YearThailandUnited StatesWorld
2020455,0001.4 million27.4 million
2019455,0001.39 million27.7 million
2018454,9001.38 million27.7 million
2017455,0001.36 million27.4 million
2016454,6001.35 million27.5 million
2015454,6001.35 million27.4 million
2014453,6001.38 million27.3 million
2013453,6001.43 million27.2 million
2012453,6001.49 million28.2 million
2011474,6001.52 million28 million
2010419,6001.57 million28.1 million
2009419,6001.56 million27.9 million
2008421,0001.54 million27.5 million
2007420,0001.56 million27.3 million
2006420,0001.5 million27 million
2005421,0001.55 million28.5 million
2004419,0001.47 million27.1 million
2003427,2001.48 million28.2 million
2002419,0001.47 million28.3 million
2001410,0001.42 million28.2 million
2000416,6001.46 million29.4 million
1999377,0001.58 million29.6 million
1998377,0001.59 million29.9 million
1997337,0001.53 million29.9 million
1996393,5001.57 million30.2 million
1995420,5001.64 million30.2 million
1994290,0001.72 million23.2 million
1993295,0001.82 million23.7 million
1992283,0001.92 million24.5 million
1991283,0002.12 million22.7 million
1990283,0002.18 million23.9 million
1989283,0002.24 million24.3 million
1985235,3002.15 million22.2 million
1984235,0002.22 million–
1983233,0002.2 million–
1982250,0002.17 million–
1981250,0002.1 million–
1980234,0002.05 million–
1979250,0002.03 million–
1978250,0002.06 million–
1977230,0002.06 million–
1976228,0002.08 million–
1975227,0002.1 million–
1974221,0002.15 million–
1973233,0002.21 million–
1972205,0002.32 million–
1971195,0002.72 million–
1970175,0003.07 million–
1969175,0003.46 million–
1968167,0003.55 million–
1967151,0003.38 million–
1966151,0003.09 million–
1965132,0002.66 million–
196485,0002.69 million–
196385,0002.7 million–
196283,0002.81 million–
196180,0002.31 million–
196097,0002.31 million–
195999,0002.33 million–
1958100,0002.41 million–
1957100,0002.8 million–
195650,0002.81 million–
195545,0002.94 million–
195445,0003.3 million–
195345,0003.56 million–
195244,0003.64 million–
195144,0003.25 million–
195044,0001.46 million–
194944,0001.62 million–
194844,0001.45 million–
194744,0001.58 million–
194644,0003.03 million–
1945–12.1 million–
1944–11.5 million–
1943–9.05 million–
1942–3.86 million–
1941–1.8 million–
1940–458,000–
193931,000334,000–
193838,000323,000–
193735,000312,000–
193632,000291,000–
193527,000252,000–
193427,000247,000–
193327,000244,000–
193230,000245,000–
193130,000253,000–
193028,000256,000–
192928,000255,000–
192827,000251,000–
192727,000249,000–
192626,000247,000–
192525,000252,000–
192426,000261,000–
192326,000247,000–
192224,000270,000–
192125,000387,000–
192025,000343,000–
191925,0001.17 million–
191832,0002.9 million–
191732,000644,000–
191632,000179,000–
191532,000174,000–
191432,000166,000–
191331,000155,000–
191231,000153,000–
191131,000145,000–
191031,000139,000–
190931,000142,000–
190831,000129,000–
190726,000108,000–
190616,000112,000–
190518,000108,000–
190418,000110,000–
190318,000106,000–
190210,000111,000–
19014,000112,000–
190010,000126,000–
18996,000100,000–
18986,000236,000–
18976,00044,000–
18966,00042,000–
18956,00042,000–
18946,00042,000–
18935,00039,000–
189215,00039,000–
189115,00038,000–
189015,00039,000–
188915,00039,000–
188815,00039,000–
188715,00039,000–
1886–39,000–
1885–39,000–
1884–39,000–
1883–37,000–
1882–38,000–
1881–38,000–
1880–38,000–
1879–38,000–
1878–36,000–
1877–34,000–
1876–41,000–
1875–38,000–
1874–44,000–
1873–43,000–
1872–42,000–
1871–42,000–
1870–50,000–
1869–52,000–
1868–66,000–
1867–75,000–
1866–77,000–
1865–1.06 million–
1864–1.03 million–
1863–960,000–
1862–673,000–
1861–217,000–
1860–28,000–
1859–29,000–
1858–29,000–
1857–27,000–
1856–26,000–
1855–26,000–
1854–21,000–
1853–21,000–
1852–21,000–
1851–21,000–
1850–21,000–
1849–23,000–
1848–60,000–
1847–58,000–
1846–39,000–
1845–21,000–
1844–21,000–
1843–21,000–
1842–23,000–
1841–21,000–
1840–22,000–
1839–19,000–
1838–18,000–
1837–22,000–
1836–17,000–
1835–14,000–
1834–13,000–
1833–13,000–
1832–12,000–
1831–11,000–
1830–12,000–
1829–12,000–
1828–11,000–
1827–12,000–
1826–12,000–
1825–11,000–
1824–11,000–
1823–11,000–
1822–10,000–
1821–11,000–
1820–15,000–
1819–13,000–
1818–14,000–
1817–15,000–
1816–17,000–
  • 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

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