Thailand vs Vietnam
Thailand vs Vietnam: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $5.57B in Thailand and $10.9B in Vietnam, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Vietnam, by $5.34B, or 1.96 times that in Thailand.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Vietnam has been higher since 2012, when it overtook Thailand.
- In 2025, Thailand ranked 45 and Vietnam ranked 32 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Thailand | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5.57B | $10.9B |
| 2024 | $5.52B | $8.59B |
| 2023 | $5.74B | $8.12B |
| 2022 | $6.14B | $7.31B |
| 2021 | $7.01B | $7.96B |
| 2020 | $7.13B | $7.73B |
| 2019 | $6.88B | $8.03B |
| 2018 | $6.71B | $7.69B |
| 2017 | $6.56B | $7.32B |
| 2016 | $6.23B | $7.34B |
| 2015 | $5.91B | $7.2B |
| 2014 | $5.71B | $6.51B |
| 2013 | $5.48B | $6.58B |
| 2012 | $5.51B | $5.99B |
| 2011 | $5.31B | $4.11B |
| 2010 | $5.77B | $3.96B |
| 2009 | $5.39B | $4.23B |
| 2008 | $4.37B | $3.06B |
| 2007 | $3.5B | $3.24B |
| 2006 | $3.09B | $2.51B |
| 2005 | $3.04B | $2.13B |
| 2004 | $3.32B | $2.05B |
| 2003 | $3.39B | $2B |
| 2002 | $3.39B | – |
| 2001 | $3.41B | – |
| 2000 | $3.42B | – |
| 1999 | $3.58B | – |
| 1998 | $4.03B | – |
| 1997 | $5.11B | – |
| 1996 | $5.26B | – |
| 1995 | $5.35B | – |
| 1994 | $5.36B | $1.08B |
| 1993 | $4.95B | $793M |
| 1992 | $4.82B | $1.01B |
| 1991 | $4.42B | $1.6B |
| 1990 | $3.99B | $2.25B |
| 1989 | $3.72B | $1.89B |
| 1988 | $3.6B | $1.43B |
| 1987 | $3.57B | $884M |
| 1986 | $3.6B | – |
| 1985 | $3.77B | – |
| 1984 | $3.5B | – |
| 1983 | $3.2B | – |
| 1982 | $3.17B | – |
| 1981 | $2.97B | – |
| 1980 | $3.04B | – |
| 1979 | $3.17B | – |
| 1978 | $2.73B | – |
| 1977 | $2.16B | – |
| 1976 | $1.8B | – |
| 1975 | $1.46B | – |
| 1974 | $1.35B | – |
| 1973 | $1.44B | – |
| 1972 | $1.54B | – |
| 1971 | $1.49B | – |
| 1970 | $1.24B | – |
| 1969 | $1.06B | – |
| 1968 | $904M | – |
| 1967 | $752M | – |
| 1966 | $655M | – |
| 1965 | $608M | – |
| 1964 | $564M | – |
| 1963 | $549M | – |
| 1962 | $517M | – |
| 1961 | $396M | – |
| 1960 | $457M | – |
| 1959 | $490M | – |
| 1958 | $478M | – |
| 1957 | $539M | – |
- 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
Thailand vs Vietnam
Health
- Life expectancyThailand: 76.4 years in 2023Vietnam: 74.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityThailand: 0.9 per 100 live births in 2024Vietnam: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityThailand: 6.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023Vietnam: 15.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionThailand: 3.09% in 2017Vietnam: 2.88% in 2017
- Suicide rateThailand: 10.4 per 100,000 people in 2017Vietnam: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationThailand: 71.7 million people in 2023Vietnam: 100 million people in 2023
- Population growthThailand: -0.04% a year in 2023Vietnam: 0.64% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateThailand: 1.21 births per woman in 2023Vietnam: 1.91 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationThailand: 62.8% in 2025Vietnam: 38.8% in 2025
- Median ageThailand: 39.7 years in 2023Vietnam: 32.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overThailand: 14.7% in 2023Vietnam: 8.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateThailand: 0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Vietnam: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingThailand: 1.04% of GDP in 2025Vietnam: 2.15% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personThailand: $84 in 2025Vietnam: $104 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingThailand: 4.4% of government spending in 2025Vietnam: 9.9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelThailand: 455,000 people in 2020Vietnam: 522,000 people in 2020
- National powerThailand: 0.79% of world capability in 2022Vietnam: 1.11% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersThailand: 1.13% of the labour force in 2020Vietnam: 0.95% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsThailand: 33 million TIV in 2025Vietnam: 177 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsThailand: 15 million TIV in 2024Vietnam: 10 million TIV in 2018